Walford is My Home for the Holidays
by MythMoonWitch
Summary: Part 2 of the "Walford is" series. Our residents celebrates Christmas through Valentine's Day in usual Albert Square fashion.
1. Chapter 1

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

This story is the sequel to Walford is: My Kind of Town. We open our story with Christmas, move to New Year and then Valentine's Day. Enjoy :)

**Chapter 1  
**

"…**...On the 1****st**** day of Christmas my true love gave to me…."**

Ffion opened bleary eyes and winced. Oh, she'd drank waaay too much at the party last night. She had forgotten just how hard coppers could party. She vaguely remembered cornering Adam outside the men's loo with no one else around. She had shagged a lot of men over the past months, but she'd not given up on adding Adam to her list. She rubbed at her face. She remembered snogging him, but after that, she drew a blank. She felt a warm presence in the bed behind her and realized she must have pulled. She turned over and her eyes widened as she saw Adam there. Result!

She smiled and trailed her fingers down his chest and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

"Good morning," she purred.

Adam felt a warm touch on his lips and a person cuddled up next to him. He sighed happily as he slipped an arm around the feminine waist and hugged his wife closer to him, he tightened his grasp on her.

"Monika," he murmured then frowned. That hadn't sounded like his wife. No, that voice had definitely not been the voice of Monika Reagan. He cracked open an eye and winced visibly at the harsh glare that hit him. A thousand and one drills were set off in his head and he groaned. Hangover. Fantastic. Just how much as had he drunk last night? He tried opening his eyes again, this time warily. He noted the unfamiliar surroundings and felt the dread sink in. Where the hell was he? And why was he here? He let himself look at the body he hugged to him and let go once he recognised her.

"Ffffion!" he stammered as he shot out of the bed, a look of horror on his face. He noticed his clothes scattered across the floor and gulped. So he had...

He grabbed his stuff up and glared at her as he dressed. What the hell was he supposed to tell Monika? He felt the guilt sink in. How was he supposed to explain this to his wife. That stupid party!

"Oh! Calm down!" Ffion exclaimed and climbed out of bed. She folded her arms and pouted at Adam. "I didn't hear you complaining last night," she snapped and pulled on a dressing gown. She allowed herself a small smile. "I certainly didn't have any."

She watched him get dressed and followed him downstairs.

"C'mon, I'll make you a cuppa."

She generally went to the man's house when she pulled, but she knew Adam was married so they had come here. She didn't think Jack and Alyssa would appreciate a constant stream of men through their home, so she tried to avoid bringing any back. Adam had been an exception. She'd been after him for months and when he'd kissed her back and agreed to come home with her, she hadn't hesitated.

She watched him slam out of the house and dropped her hands to her sides and huffed in annoyance. Oh well, she shrugged. Even drunk he'd been a brilliant shag, but now that she'd succeeded she could leave him alone. She heard the kettle boil and made herself a cup of tea, wondering if Adam had woken up her landlords with his tantrum.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\

Rowan woke up and sighed. Party last night at the station with Chris and now party tonight in her restaurant. She had so much to do! She looked at the empty space next to her in the bed and pulled on her robe. She looked in JT's room. JT wasn't there, but Chris was. She padded downstairs to the restaurant's kitchen and began readying the equipment. She got a pot of coffee started and rubbed her hands together before assembling her ingredients to get muffins going.

The deal with Jane selling cakes had taken off hugely. Although breakfast and lunch during the week was very busy at the restaurant, it was a bit slow for dinner. She'd altered her hours accordingly, staying open only until 4 during the week, except Friday when she had a speciality theme buffet. Then she was packed. Mexican night had proved most popular and she grinned.

When the coffee was ready, she went upstairs. She sighed in annoyance. This fight with Chris was taking its toll and the one morning she needed JT's help early and he was gone. She looked at her watch. At least Syed would be arriving in an hour. He would help. She stumped back downstairs and set to baking as fast as she could so that Jane's things would be ready. Christian would arrive with Syed and pick up the things she'd baked for Jane.

She sent a quick text to JT telling him to hurry and get to the restaurant. He must have forgotten Molly was taking the day off to go shopping with Whitney. Rowan hadn't minded. She had Ffion and when James, the weekend bartender from the club had come looking for a second job, she'd hired him to work occasional days when someone else needed a day off. But James couldn't cook and JT could.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\

Ronnie slapped a hand on the alarm and cut off the Christmas carol that had woken her. She still hated Christmas music. She sighed and looked at Ray and smiled. She slid a hand across her belly and shivered. She'd be able to get pregnant now. She slipped from the bed and went into the kitchen and put the kettle on. She got the canister of Gem's tea down from the shelf and looked, it was almost gone. Hardly surprising, she and Ray had been drinking it every morning, mostly she had. Ronnie fixed a pot of tea and mused over getting Gem's address from Rowan, then she could write and ask for more.

She poured the tea and added sugar to Ray's and carried the cups into the bedroom. She placed Ray's next to him and sipped her own as she walked around the bed and put her cup on the table before dropping her dressing gown to the floor and climbing back into bed. She leaned over Ray and after looking at his sleeping face a moment, she pressed a soft kiss to his lips. She shifted her body close to his and laid her head on his chest.

Ray slipped his arm around Ronnie as he felt her return. He cracked open his eyes and looked down at her.

"That party last night was a big mistake. My head is killing me," he groaned as he shut his eyes again and tightened his grip on her.

"At least you don't have to work today. Don't forget Rowan's party is tonight," she kissed his neck. "I made you some tea," she breathed in his ear and kissed his neck again. She pulled away, blinked and put her hand to her head. She'd had the oddest feeling just then. She shook herself and turned her attention back to Ray.

He had been pretty well pissed by the time she'd got him home she had to admit. She'd had to get Jane to help her get him up the stairs.

The run up to the holidays had been unbelievably busy at the club and they'd got very little time anymore. Though she remembered one night he'd come to visit her at the club as was his habit. They'd had a dry week and she was feeling the tension. She'd worn something low cut and tight and had made sure to bend over and brush against him a lot. When her back was turned he'd locked the door and then he'd spun her around and had her on Jack's desk. She still loved it when she could make him lose control like that. There had also been their second road trip a few months ago. She was sure that tree would never be the same or the hiker that had stumbled across them. And Ronnie had been being quiet!

She pushed the thoughts out of her head. He was hung over. She leaned back and got the paracetamol out of her bedside drawer and handed it to him.

Ray mumbled a word of thanks and drained the tea from the mug, she had put sugar in it. He would have to thank her when his head felt better, Ray refused to let himself give into the hangover and hauled himself out of bed, he took the paracetamol off her and dry-swallowed the two tablets she had handed to him. He ran a hand through his hair as he stood uneasily.

Ray spun around to look for Ronnie and ran a hand through his hair as he waited for the paracetamol to take effect.

"What time do we have to be at this thing tonight?" he asked. He was glad he didn't have to work, he was also very glad that Alex had gone on maternity leave. It seemed that the bigger she got the moodier she got. He was glad he didn't have to put up with her anymore, he felt for Gene though if that was what he was subjected to all the time. He hoped Ronnie wouldn't be like that if she got pregnant. He didn't regret telling her not to get her injection, in a way he was nervous, not that he would tell her. But he knew he wasn't good with kids, but Ronnie was, so that balanced it out. Right?

"Rowan said dinner starts at 6," Ronnie replied as she climbed from the bed and padded over to him and slid her arms around him.

"And you're fine about going to have dinner with my family tomorrow? I know you've really only been around Roxy and Aunty Peg. If you get anxious at all, we can leave early okay? Just please, ignore Phil, he can be a bit abrasive. I know you could turn him into a stain on the pavement, so just, let anything he says slide."

She had to admit, she had not been looking forward to this "family" dinner, but it was her baggage and they should get to know Ray. She intended him to be around for a good, long time.

She trailed her fingers over his chest, her fingers combing through his chest hair. She smiled.

"Now, why don't you lie down and I'll give you a bit of an early present," she told him and gave him a gentle push towards the bed. "C'mon," she cajoled and patted the bed. "Face down, c'mon."

Ray slid his arms around her. He had yet to meet her cousin. Phil. The neighbourhood hardnut. Ex-neighbourhood hardnut. Ray grinned. At least he could handle his drink. If Phil said anything that really wound him up then he had plenty of retorts ready and raring to go. If that didn't work then violence was the answer. But he would try. For Ronnie.

He liked Roxy well enough most of the time though. She was with JT now. At least her taste in blokes had improved since...her last one. She was alright. Mentally scarred from that one night and sometimes wary about looking him in the eye. But she was alright. Then he had come across her Aunty Peggy a few times too. A fun-loving old bird. He liked her well enough. Phil he would watch out for though.

He let her go. Curiously.

"Face down?" he questioned as he complied and lay on his front.

Ronnie smiled and straddled his back. She rubbed her hands together and then started on his neck. She watched as he relaxed under her touch. She had tried to teach him how and had let him give her one back, and had made him stop. He was too strong, she thought he was going to break her neck. She hadn't been brave enough to risk it again. But she loved giving him massages. Any reason to touch him.  
She'd compromised in her teaching. Since he hadn't caught on to massage, she'd suggested she teach him how to drive the bike. He wasn't doing too badly. She'd never seen him drive a car, that she could remember, and she'd thought maybe he couldn't, which she thought odd considering she thought all police officers knew how to drive. It turned out he could drive.

She was quick to point out that a bike wasn't like a car. She took him through all the parts of the bike and what everything did, insisting it was important when he scoffed. You had to rely on knowing everything about your bike, it was all you had and there was nothing between you and other cars. He was learning though, and getting better all the time. Although she liked the feel of him against her back when they went some place on the bike, she was looking forward to wrapping her arms around him and leaning against him while he drove.

She sighed happily and began to work from his neck to his shoulders, leaning down to place a kiss between his shoulder blades. "Happy Christmas," she said to him softly.

Ray closed his eyes as she worked on his back. He buried his face into the pillow and sighed happily a she worked her magic. He remembered the time he had tried to give her a massage and cringed. He had hurt her, he had tried to be gentle but apparently he hadn't got the hang of it. It didn't matter, he had other ways of helping her calm down.

He grunted as she moved to his shoulders. Christmas? It was Christmas Eve. He chuckled at her.

"It's Christmas Eve, you daft bat. Christmas is tomorrow," he chuckled and sighed as he felt the tension ebb away gradually. She was definitely helping with his hangover. He reached his hand further down and stroked a finger up and down the part of her leg that he could reach.

Ronnie moved from his shoulders down his back. She giggled and thumped the back of his head before returning her hands to his back.

"I am not a bat," she snorted, "and I know full well what today is."

She watched his hand trail over her leg and felt herself shiver. She ran her hands slowly over his back and sides, bent over and began to press slow kisses up his spine to his neck.

Ray grinned and shuddered as he felt her lips kiss their way down his back. He had had enough. He held her legs as he rolled and threw her off his back onto the bed. He rolled off her and then crawled on top of her and nuzzles at her neck as his other hand slid down her front.

"Ronnie," he murmured as he lifted his head to hers and kissed her.

"Ray," she whispered and slid her hands over his shoulders and into his hair as she kissed him back. She moaned into the kiss as his hands caressed her flesh. She couldn't get enough of him touching her.

Ray moved one hand back up to cradled her head. He combed his fingers through her hair. She had taught him how to braid it recently, and although he wasn't very good at it yet, she still seemed to like it. He pulled back from the kiss and stared down into her eyes. He smiled at her.

"You're gorgeous, Ronnie," he told her as he gazed down at her face. Taking in every detail. He had done it before. Looked at her. Her face was permanently imprinted in his mind. Along with the rest of her. That was all there, too.

He moved his lips back to hers as he carefully thrust into her and ran his hands down her body in a gentle caress.

Ronnie broke off the kiss and cried out, arching against him.

"So are you," she breathed in his ear, her hands tracing down his powerful arms as her breathing quickened.

Ray swept an arm behind her and lifted her body closer to his as he caught her lips once more.

Ronnie moaned loudly into the kiss and clutched at him. She slid a leg around him and bucked her hips to meet his thrusts. She seriously considered skipping the party so she could stay in bed with Ray all day. She couldn't remember the last time they'd gone at it all day.

She threw her head back and gasped his name.

Ray groaned into her neck as she said his name. They hadn't done this in ages due to one thing or another. He had missed it. He lifted his head to look down at her again. His hand stroked down her leg. Yes, it had been too long since they had done this.

Ronnie pressed her head back into the pillows, Ray's name spilling from her lips over and over again. Her hands roamed over his arms and chest as he pushed her closer.

Ray groaned loudly as he held her to him tightly with one arm and used the other to grip her leg and keep it in place. He drove into her fiercely, he was nearly there.

Ronnie shrieked Ray's name and shuddered in his arms. She gasped for air as she gazed up at him.

"I almost don't want to go to this party tonight," she whispered. "I'd rather stay in bed all day with you," she added and raised her head to kiss him.

But she knew they would go to the party so they could spend time with their friends. Besides, she thought as she looked at the clock, they had a few hours and there was always after they got home.

She let out a slight rasping giggle and pulled in another deep breath.

"I think I need some tea, my throat hurts," she said softly and wondered idly if he was up for a shower together.

Ray kissed her forehead as he chuckled through his panting.

"We can spend all day in bed on Boxing Day," he said as he rolled off her and slipped an arm behind her to hold her to him. "Tomorrow is with your family," he reminded her.

He sighed and let go of her so she could get up. He glanced at the clock. They had time. Plenty of time. He grinned. They could do a lot in that amount of time.

Ronnie groaned as she sat up and pulled on her dressing gown.

"Don't remind me. I just hope we can manage without a fight. Our family is good for loads of drama if nothing else," she sighed. "Last year at Christmas, dad was murdered. Year before that..." she paused to think, "Roxy's husband found out Jack was Amy's father. He kidnapped Amy a few days later. Never a dull moment," she snorted softly and went into the kitchen and flipped the kettle on.

Ray chuckled as she left. He grabbed his dressing gown from the side and tied it loosely around him, grateful for the central heating that kept the flat toasty and warm.

"Sounds like fun" he grinned as she came back.

She came back in and got both their mugs and rinsed them out before making fresh tea. She sat down next to him, put his tea on the table and stroked a gentle hand across his forehead. "How's your hangover?"

He looked back up at her and smiled.

"I think I've found the perfect remedy," he answered and tugged her arm to pull her down to his level for another kiss.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Whitney bounded out of bed and hurried to be first in the shower. She was taking the day off and going shopping with Molly. She left a box of shirts with Bianca just in case.

Her online courses had been going well and the website Tamwar had designed was brilliant. Bianca and Ricky had been well impressed and Bianca remarked more than once that Molly was clearly a good influence on her. Whitney herself was glad Molly had decided to stay in Walford and go to school here. She knew Peter was, too. According to Abi, whom Whitney had ran into at the café one afternoon, the two were practically joined at the hip.

Whitney made herself a cup of tea and toast and took it upstairs with her to eat while she got ready. She sent off a text to Molly.

"Ready for shopping today?"

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Roxy woke and found herself cuddled up comfortably against JT. She smiled and raised her head off the pillow to watch him sleep. For a big guy he seemed so small when he was asleep. She traced a finger down his cheek and smiled happily.

Roxy heard Amy's cries and looked at the clock. Her daughter had taken to waking up routinely at 7:30. Every single morning without fail. She sighed and regretfully left JT's arms and grabbed her dressing gown as she padded through to get Amy. She smiled as she remembered JT's reaction to her having a daughter. He hadn't seemed too put out by it.

Roxy picked Amy up and raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"JTeeeeee!" she giggled and Roxy smiled.

"He's asleep Amy. You have to quiet."

Amy pressed a finger to her lips.

"Sssssssshhhh" she said and looked pleadingly at her mum. Roxy smiled and nodded. She set the tiny girl on the floor and watched proudly as Amy walked confidently to the open door and made her way to Roxy's room where the sleeping man slept. Her walking had come along a lot in the last 6 months and Roxy was always careful and walked behind in case she stumbled and fell.

She picked her daughter up and deposited her on the bed as Amy struggled to climb up. Roxy sat back down then slipped under the covers as she watched Amy study JT's face then plant a tiny kiss on his nose.

"JTeeeeeeeeeee" she sang.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

JT heard Amy cry and Roxy leave to take care of her. He still hadn't figured out why she'd been so nervous telling him she had a kid. Why would that bother him? He supposed some men might have a problem with it, but not any that he knew. He missed being around kids. They were always underfoot back home. He kept pictures of his little nephews in his wallet. Junior had called him when Louisa had gone into labor and had been sending pictures of the twins once a month.

He knew Aunt Rowan wasn't crazy about his relationship with Roxy, but she'd not stood in his way or said anything against it.

At home, his parents and his brother were always hovering over him, stifling him. As much as he still got homesick, he was really beginning to like this place. Rowan and Chris were great and he loved working at the restaurant. Rowan had chosen to let him go his way and he appreciated it.

He was also crazy about Roxy and Amy.

Peggy had found him so polite and helpful she'd practically invited him to move in before going off on a holiday with her friend Pat.

He felt the little girl clamber over him and kiss his nose and sing his name.

He cracked open an eye and without warning, seized Amy, folded her to him and began to blow raspberries on her neck, making her shriek with laughter. He rolled over into Roxy and looked up at her and winked.

"Sugar from the punkin pie," he said to Amy and tapped his cheek. She promptly gave him a loud, smacking kiss. He looked up at Roxy and traced her jaw. He looked at Amy.

"D'you think your Momma has sugar for me?" he asked and then looked back up at Roxy and grinned as Amy nodded.

"You heard her," he said and pulled Roxy to him for a kiss.

Roxy grinned and tipped her head forward to meet his lips halfway. She loved that he got on so well with Amy, he was used to having kids around he had told her and she couldn't be happier. He was gorgeous and loved her daughter too. She cupped his cheek as she broke the kiss and grinned at him as she settled and leant against him, with Amy in the gap in the blankets between them, she smiled at her daughter.

"What happens tonight, Amy?" she asked with a smile.

"Farrrver CHRISTMAS," she grinned back at her mum and looked at JT too, then burst into an excited howl of laughter, Roxy reached for her and Amy came willingly into her mother's arms.

"And Father Christmas doesn't come unless little girls are fast asleep at night, so, what do we have to be tonight?" she quizzed.

Amy pressed her hands to her lips and Roxy could see the grin hidden behind them.

"Mummy and JTee have to ssshhsshh," she answered cheekily.

Roxy's eyes widened and she gave her daughter a look of mock outrage.

"Mummy and JT are always quiet at night, which means we will get lots of presents," she teased.

Amy frowned and folded her arms, copying a move she had learned from seeing her mother when she was angry or upset.

"I always ssshhss," she retorted and shut her mouth tightly to prove it. Roxy smiled and hugged Amy tightly as she leant her head on JT's shoulder.

"I know you do, honey."

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly was up and about early. She had got her homework out of the way at the start of the Christmas holidays so that Alex and Gene wouldn't have a problem with her spending time with her friends. That was the rule. Homework done meant she could have a social life. She grinned at Whitney's text.

'Hell, yes, Mate. Sooo much cash to spend! :D'

She grinned as she finished dressing and checked her hair was decent before going to get breakfast. She couldn't wait for the Party tonight. She had invited her dad over the phone, but doubted he would turn up. She had tactfully left out that Alex was married and heavily pregnant. Her dad was having trouble holding down a relationship and Molly didn't want him having any reason to slag off her mum.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jack sighed as he heard someone banging around. He got up and peeked out the door and saw a man hastily buttoning his shirt as he hurried downstairs, Ffion right behind him. Jack shook his head and closed the door. Someone had had company last night. He was glad he was on his holidays. He'd been glad to go back to school. Fixing up the house and garden had kept him busy, but he missed the bustle of school. He missed the bright, eager faces on the students, which usually faded on the faces of the older ones after a week. He chuckled.

Tonight was Rowan's party. He was looking forward to it. In exchange, he'd offered to host Christmas dinner. He and Alyssa could easily cook the meal. He went into the bathroom to get his shower out of the way. He got into the medicine cabinet over the sink and pulled out an empty container of plasters. He opened it and upended it over his hand and looked at the engagement ring he'd bought her. He'd given Alyssa the ring that matched the necklace for their six month anniversary and spent the weeks after searching for the perfect engagement ring. He stuck it back in the container and hurriedly took a shower.

Alyssa heard the door slam loudly downstairs and sighed, she was glad that Ffion didn't tend to bring all of her 'conquests' home, but was well aware of what the girl was up to when she wasn't sleeping in the house. She heard Jack clattering around in the bathroom and then the shower turn on as Ffion stumbled around downstairs. She had know Ffion had somebody round because of the noise and shushing that had gone on when they came in. The poor guy had obviously been drunk, the sounds he was making. She chuckled and rolled over, gathering Jack's pillow and hugging it.

She was glad he had the Christmas holidays now. It was nice to get in from work and find him at home, but the compromise was when he was working, she would get home first, change into a pair of jeans and jumper, usually one of his, and have a cup of tea ready for when he came in. He always looked tired when he got in, especially after the weekly staff meeting on Wednesdays nights. But life was good, she was with the man she loved and had a party tonight. Christmas eve, and she had got the perfect Christmas present for Jack. She hoped he would like it.

Jack came out of the bathroom fully dressed and smiled at Alyssa.

"Well, good morning," he said to her and sat down next to her on the bed. He pulled her to him for a kiss.

"Sounds like our lodger had company last night. I have to say, I appreciate that she doesn't bring them all home. I think she's worked her way through the Walford police department and who knows who else? She shagged your former boss too, did you know?"

He sighed. "I'm not judging, but I think she might have a problem."

He dropped into his chair and took a drink of his tea.

Alyssa rested a hand on his chest as she listened. She snorted a laugh at his mention of Max. She hadn't seen all that much of him since she had moved to the Salon. He had had Vanessa but they had split up a while back for a reason that nobody seemed to know. That Ffion and Max got together at some point was probably inevitable. She was glad Ffion didn't bring them all home too. The last thing she wanted was a load of weirdo men hanging around the house.

"I think she has an issue too. Maybe addiction? Can you get addicted to sex?" she shrugged. She could always Google it. "I don't want to know who she's shagging though if I'm honest. But I might have a word with Shaz. Get her to talk to Rhys."

Alyssa sighed and kissed his cheek. He had shaved. She smiled as she ran a finger down his smooth cheek. She loved it when his stubble tickled her palm in the evenings and early morning. But liked it just as much when it was freshly shaved off. Just as long as he didn't decide to grow a beard, or a moustache. He could forget kisses or anything else if he grew himself a beard.

Jack shrugged. "Yes, there is such a thing. I think her issue is something else. The times when she comes home alone she seems...I don't know...depressed. I'm not saying talk to her about who she's shagging, just talk to her, see if you can't find something out about why. And you should still talk to Shaz, maybe between the two of you you can find out what is going on."

He leaned over and kissed her again. "I guess it's the Head in me, I can't stand seeing a young girl doing this to herself."

"I'll go get us some tea while you shower," he told her and went downstairs.

Ffion smiled at Jack brightly.

"Rhys is picking me up straight from work so I won't see you until after Christmas," she told him. "I hope you don't mind, I got both of you a little prezzie. Just, you know, to say thanks."

She stood up and walked to the kitchen door. "The kettle's full by the way, Happy Christmas."

"Thanks, Ffion," Jack said. "Happy Christmas."

Ffion winked and rushed upstairs to get ready for work. She was glad Rowan was closing early to get ready for her party, at least Rhys and Shaz wouldn't have to wait for her.

Jack set about making tea and cooking breakfast for himself and Alyssa. He gave Ffion a quick wave as she dashed out, off to work. He smiled as he put bacon in the pan and went to butter the toast.

Alyssa sighed and nodded as he left her. She bit her lip, she was normally in bed when Ffion came home so hadn't noticed the change in the girl's attitude. She would talk to Shaz though, and try to be around when Ffion got in one night. When she came home alone.

Alyssa slipped off the bed and padded through to the bathroom. She smiled. Jack hadn't found where she had hidden his present, she had thought about what to get him for ages then finally decided when she had seen them in a shop. She hoped he would like them. She didn't think he already had some of his own. She would have to check. Just in case.

Alyssa dressed herself in her black turtleneck and a pair of jeans before smiling of the smell of bacon that filled the air. She inhaled. She loved it when he cooked. She slipped her feet into her fluffy slippers and hurried downstairs. She took the orange juice from the fridge and looked over Jack's shoulder at the pan as she reached past him for a glass.

"So, plans for today?" she asked as she filled her glass and sipped the juice.

"Well, not sure. I have a few things to pick up for dinner tomorrow. Apart from that," he shrugged. "And of course Rowan's party is tonight."

He carefully put the bacon on a paper towel-covered plate and carried the plate to the table.

"What about you? Want to shop with me?"

Alyssa grabbed two more plates and the 4 different sauces she had insisted that had to be in the house. How was she supposed to eat a bacon sarnie without them!

She put the toast on the table too and sat down opposite him as she began adding the sauces to the toast.

"Food shopping? Or present shopping?" she questioned. "Oh, you do know that Ffion is going home for Christmas?" she checked as she added the bacon.

"Food shopping. My present shopping is already done," he replied blandly as he dug into his eggs. "Yes, she reminded me this morning. There's just a few things I forgot and remember, you promised to keep Rowan distracted and out of the kitchen," he said as he paused in putting jam on his toast and pointed the knife at her.

Alyssa chuckled at him and bit into her sandwich.

"I'll do my best. I'll put a sign on the door: 'Off limits to American Perfectionist Cooks'," she smiled at him.

Jack chuckled in spite of himself.

"Not sure that's necessary, just keep her distracted. She does deserve the occasional break."

He finished eating his breakfast and went to the sink to do the washing up.

Alyssa chuckled. The sign would go up. She watched Jack start on the washing up and picked up her empty plate.

"I know she needs a break," she sighed. "I think, the last time she actually had a break was on Gem's farm" she said as she handed him her plate and grabbed a towel.

"And that's only because I think Gem is far more territorial in the kitchen. I'll have to practice my imperious stare," he said and looked down at her, his eyes wide, attempting to look threatening.

Alyssa looked at him for a moment and took in his expression. She raised an eyebrow, nodded and fought against herself to hold back the giggles.

"You'll have her quaking in her boots," she told him before picking up a mug to dry it and erupting into uncontrollable laughter. She looked back at him and attempted to school her expression.

"I'm sorry," she apologised, "it's just..." she waved at his expression and a other wave of giggles hit her.

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I suppose I'll be crippling her with laughter then," he remarked and let the water out of the sink. He sighed.

"I'm going to put my shoes on so we can go."

Alyssa nodded and wiped the remaining water from the final plate. She placed it in the cupboard overhead. She chewed her lip as she thought and followed him into the hall and grabbed her pumps from under the sideboard and slipped them on as she sat herself on the bottom stair.

"You could always go scary teacher mode on her," she shrugged. "That's intimidating"

Jack threw his head back and laughed.

"That's very true. I'll keep that in mind," he said as he pulled his shoes on and grabbed his keys.

"Let's go before things get too bad out there."

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Whitney grinned at Molly's reply. She couldn't wait. She already had ideas what she was going to get everyone and Rowan had said she and Molly could borrow the front room in her flat to wrap the presents where no one could see. They would be there for the party anyway. She finished getting ready and dug out her stash and put it in her purse.

She bounded downstairs and put her mug and plate in the sink. Bianca smiled.

"All right and all ready?"

Whitney nodded. Bianca handed her the money for the cab fare and Whitney gave her a quick kiss before running to the sound of the cab horn outside. She texted Molly.

"On my way!"

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gene sat in the kitchen with his tea and watched Molly go about getting ready to go shopping with Whitney.

"Have fun today, but be careful," he cautioned her. "Your mum has enough going on right now that she's ready to pop. She hardly needs stress," he told her and took a sip of his tea.

"I'm just glad we got the wedding out of the way before she went completely around the bend," he joked softly and chuckled.

It had been nice, though. Small, quiet, just a few people and a party at Rowan's after. She'd wanted to do it before she started to show and he was willing. He still had trouble getting his head around it. And as she'd gotten bigger, her temper had gotten shorter. He was very careful not to make any comments that she might think were slight against her, but he had to admit, the tension was killing him. He had heaved a great sigh of relief when she'd gone on maternity leave. At least now he had work to escape to. He'd envied Molly going to school and getting to avoid her mum that way. Gene was not so lucky.

He'd also taken to hanging around in the pub more with Jack and surprisingly, Rowan's nephew, JT. The boy was surprisingly bright and eerily well-mannered, though Rowan had told Gene when he'd asked that JT had been in trouble a lot back home. Having a very successful older brother could do that to you, especially when everyone else around you wondered why you weren't the same.

He wondered again what Alex might be having. When she'd reached her fifth month they'd gone for a scan and had refused to know when they'd offered to tell her. He'd been tempted to ask the woman behind Alex's back but knew he'd be putting his life at risk if he did so, so he hadn't.

"Did you invite your dad to the party tonight?" he asked Molly. He was sure she thought she was being clever. She could fool Alex because Alex was distracted. But you couldn't fool the Gene Genie. He grinned at her and waited for her reply.

Molly spun around and looked at him in surprise. How did he...? She sighed, no point in pretending she didn't know what he was on about, they had been through this before and she couldn't outsmart him. Not matter how hard she tried. It annoyed her, but she cheered up when she realised that her new sibling would be subjected to the same treatment, maybe even more so seeing as this new child was actually Gene's and she wasn't.

Molly nodded.

"I want to see him. I haven't since I came here and talking to him on the phone isn't the same. I'll keep him away from Mum though, like you said, she really doesn't need the extra stress!" She checked the contents of her bag once more, before she looked up at him. "Mind you, he hasn't actually given me a straight answer about whether or not he is coming tonight," she found her phone and read the text.

"Whitney's on her way."

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Alex heard the voices in the other room and was very glad she hadn't gone to the party last night. She was also thankful that Gene hadn't got pissed. He was practically sober when he had got back and found Alex and Molly having a chick flick marathon on the sofa. She smiled as she slid a hand across her swollen belly. One month, one month and she would have another child. Gene's child. Their child. She smiled and carefully eased herself out of bed. She felt bloated, but not in a bad way. It felt good. She sighed. She hated not being able to see her feet, and she had stopped wearing heels too, they hurt her back and she wanted to be able to stand properly, she grabbed her dressing gown, her maternity wear was hanging up in the wardrobe, as much as she liked it and as gorgeous as some of the stuff was now, she found she preferred wearing Gene's larger tops and coupling them with leggings. Much more comfortable.

She made her way directly to the kettle and got herself a mug of tea, she found that more preferable to coffee now, though she had hated the stuff before she had got pregnant. She kissed Gene's cheek, aware that conversation had tactfully come to halt once she had entered the room. She wasn't going to blow her top, too early for that, for now she wanted her tea and a dry piece of toast, and the seat at the table.

Gene nodded at Molly's comment and smiled at Alex as she came into the kitchen. "Make sure mine is the most expensive present," he told Molly and moved Alex to sit down. He stuck bread in the toaster to make her something to eat. He didn't want to give her any reason to complain.

"You'll be back in time for the party. You keep in touch with your mum and let her know where you are," he told Molly when he heard the horn outside. He still aggressively refused to get one of those cell phones. He hated them. Alex had one, people could call her or text her and she could pass the message, end of.

He put the toast on the table when it was ready and then made himself another cup of tea.

He walked to the front room and glanced to make sure Molly had gone.

"I think that Ffion is going to be a problem. I hate to ask but is there any way you can have a word with Rhys? Get him to talk to her. She's shagged her way through most of the PCs who were willing and she copped off with Adam last night. He was so drunk he didn't know which way was up but that didn't seem to matter. I know you're on leave, but this is something you're good at, your psych….ology thing."

Alex took her tea from the table and waved at Molly as she slammed the front door.

"Adam? I knew she kept flirting with him but I didn't think he would..." she trailed off as she thought. Adam was married and unlikely to have gone off with Ffion. She sighed. She knew that all of the better looking PCs had got off with Ffion, some of the more desperate ones too. She would have a word, she what she could find out.

Alex gasped suddenly and reached for Gene's hand she pressed it to her tummy and held it there as the baby kicked her repeatedly. She smiled up at him. Gene smiled back.

"Footballer in there," he remarked. He stood up and put his cup in the sink.

"I'm going to go to the station for a bit. I'll be back in a couple of hours. You'll be okay? Just call if you need anything."

He kissed her forehead and went to get ready.

Alex nodded and watched him go back into the bedroom. She smiled as the kicking stopped and she sipped her tea. One month. That was it. Just one more. She grabbed her toast and nibbled it slowly. She wondered what it would be. She refused to ask at the scan. She wanted to know, but didn't want to know at the same time. She had made herself refuse to be told. But she could tell Gene wanted to know. She was grateful he hadn't asked, if he had she would have been looking for signs of what gender the baby was.

Alex put her empty plate in the sink and switched on the radio. Since she had gone on maternity leave, she had been bored and insisted on all her paperwork being brought home. She had got through it in a week. Now, she was reading. Molly kept coming home and Alex would be ordering books online so she had something to keep her mind occupied during the week. She grabbed her book from where he had left it and moved over to the sofa with her tea in one hand and settled herself against the cushions and opened at the marked page.

Gene came back into the room and leaned over the couch. He took her chin in his hand and turned her face to kiss her.

"I'll be back soon. Do you want me to pick up anything while I'm out?"

Alex shook her head at him.

"I'm fine. I'll call your office if I think if anything. You can pick it up for me on the way home," she smiled and watched him leave, sighing as the door slammed shut behind him. She picked her book back up and leant comfortably into the cushions once more.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alex was woken from her slumber as the doorbell sounded noisily and repeatedly. This person was going nowhere until she answered. With a resigned sigh she rose slowly and rested a hand carefully on her swollen stomach as she made her way to the front door. She opened it and immediately wished that she hadn't.

"Peter?" her voice echoed her surprise as she faced her ex-husband.

"Alex," he hissed back, eyeing his very pregnant ex-wife and the wedding ring on her finger that glinted in the fading winter sunlight. Molly hadn't mentioned that Alex had got married when they had spoken on the phone, neither had she mentioned Alex's pregnancy. He pushed his way past her into the flat easily. His confidence was renewed now that he knew that she was in no position to try and stop him.

"Molly!" he called out. He wondered silently who Alex had married, which idiot she had ensnared this time. She wasn't wearing that ring the last time she had seen him. The time she had taken Molly away from him. He scowled at the thought of that stupid Neanderthal that had brandished those few documents. Peter cursed himself for backing down so easily and handing over his daughter to that bitch who now stood nervously before him.

"You can't have her," Alex's voice held conviction. He wasn't taking her daughter away. Not again.

Peter swung around to face her and his face curled into a snarl.

"And you're going to stop me are you? Look at you Alex. Pregnant. How do you intend to keep my daughter away from me?" he questioned and barked out a short laugh. "You're hardly responsible enough to look after her anyway!" he stated and gestured to her baby bump. "You let somebody get you into this state! Not the most responsible thing you've ever done is it. Damn irresponsible darling!" he  
drawled with a triumphant grin.

Alex looked down at her tummy. Having another child was irresponsible was it? How exactly!

"At least I can actually care for our daughter Peter!" she spat. "Out drinking every night. Coming home pissed. Leaving her to fend for herself. I'm surprise social services didn't come knocking!" she watched his face redden in anger, but she wasn't finished. "And having a child with my husband isn't irresponsible! It's perfectly normal. The only stupid thing I did was let you have Molly for 3 years! You did well though, severing all communication, moving schools and homes, removing files so I couldn't trace you. Well done," she paused for breath and glared at him. She needed to sit down. But in no way was she doing that and giving him the upper hand. Not over her dead body, he was not getting the high ground in any sense.

Peter's eyes darkened. How bloody dare she! He wanted Christmas with Molly. He wanted his daughter to celebrate Christmas with him like the past few years.

"She's invited me to this party thing tonight, Alex. Nothing you can do. You or your new man. Your husband!" he drew the word out and said it as an insult. Poor guy. Even more stupid of him to have knocked her up. Now there was no escape for the man. Like Peter, he was bound to Alex if he was going to want any contact with his kid. Bitch!

Hang on. This bloke was Molly's stepdad. She had replaced him. How fucking dare she! He glared at her.

"You really think you can replace me with him? I'm her father Alex. Nothing is going to change that, sweetheart. No amount of pretence on your part will EVER change the fact that she's mine," he spat at her. She was beginning to suffer now, he could see it. She wouldn't let herself surrender to him though, no matter how much she would damage herself. He smiled sweetly and pushed past her again, nearly knocking her over, she caught the wall just in time and held herself up. He pushed open the door. Bathroom. He saw Molly's toothbrush and all of her things laid out pretty much the same as they had been when she was living with him. Where she was supposed to be? He scowled and shut the door again, he moved to a different one, ignoring Alex's eyes as they bore into his back. He pushed that open and his expression darkened. Her room. Alex and her husband. He could tell. He slammed that door and opened the final one. Molly. The room practically screamed his daughter's name at him. He smiled and reached for the bag that sat on her chair. He went to her wardrobe and pulled clothes out that he stuffed inside the bag. She could stay at his tonight. Alex could have her back Boxing Day. Or New Year. He smirked.

Alex's eyes widened in fury as he went into Molly's room. She stormed after him and pulled on his arm to make him stop.

"Piss off Peter! Leave us alone. Go and crawl back into whatever hole you came out of and leave us in Peace!"

He brushed her off and continued with a grin. She couldn't stop him.

Peter grinned at Alex as he moved past her back into the hall. He looked around her home and sneered. Molly had been better off with him. At least he had a house. Unlike Alex. A flat.

Peter dumped the bag on the kitchen table and studied Alex. She really was huge. He chuckled. No doubt she was giving her new bloke hell. She had when she was pregnant with Molly. His stupid fault for letting her get pregnant.

Alex held the door frame. She really didn't feel good. She caressed her belly and closed her eyes. That didn't feel good at all. She heard Peter's sneer and opened them again. She wasn't letting him have the upper hand. She wouldn't sit down. He wasn't going to take advantage of her condition like this. She held back a whimper of pain and made herself stand tall and glared at him.

Peter noted in amusement the angry flare in her eyes. Winding her up was so easy. She was angry. Too right. So was he. She had taken Molly away. This party was clearly his daughter's way of asking him to take her home. Where she belonged.

Alex took a step and let out a small whine of pain. She staggered to a chair. This hurt like hell. Something was wrong. This wasn't right! She let herself collapse into the hard straight backed chair and looked up to see Peter's look of disgust as Alex whimpered with pain. She looked where he was looking and her eyes grew wide. This was too soon. She still had another month to go! Another contraction hit and she clung to the table in pain.

"CALL AN AMBULANCE YOU DICK!" she screamed at him.

Peter tore his eyes away from the spot where his ex-wife's waters had broken and dialled 999.

"Ambulance, please. My ex- wife, her waters just broke."

His speech was punctuated by another shout of pain from Alex as she pushed him away from her and they waited for the sound of the sirens.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\

JT grinned at Amy. She was a cute little button. He jumped as he heard his phone go off. He still wasn't used to having one but Rowan had insisted. His brother had always had one, JT had never seen the point. He read her text.

"Oh, I have to get to work. I forgot it's Molly's day off and Aunt Ro is having the party tonight," JT leapt out of bed and his words were punctuated by him pulling on his jeans and shirt. "She will skin me alive." He leaned over and kissed Amy's forehead and Roxy's lips. "I'll see you later, darlins," he said and bolted.

Roxy smiled as he left. She squeezed Amy and rolled onto her back so Amy was sat on the pillow. The girl settled herself and grabbed handfuls of Roxy's hair which she played with as she chattered to herself.

Roxy sighed. She loved having JT around, he was lovely. Huge. Gorgeous. She loved his accent and the quaint little phrases he came out with that often made her laugh. Also how relaxed and easy going he was. Especially around Amy. The little girl loved him too. That much was clear. She sighed. Business would be slow tonight.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

JT ran to the restaurant and apologized profusely to his aunt for being late.

"Just please, I wouldn't care if it wasn't so busy. Get started on those pies. Jane wants apple, chocolate, and cherry. I'll do the pecan tarts." JT nodded and tied on his apron and got to work on the pie dough while Rowan finished boxing up the muffins. The pies should just be ready when Syed and Christian showed up.

Chris came downstairs and looked over the kitchen. "I have to go to the station for a bit, but is there anything we still need for the party?"

Rowan rushed over to the reach in and looked, then to the walk in before checking her inventory list.

"I could use some more pecans. Those bars I'm making from Gem's recipe have pretty much depleted my stores."

JT swiveled his head around as he used a fork to seal the edges of the half-circle shaped pies. "You're making Gem's pecan bars?"

Rowan nodded.

"Oh my Lord and Lady," was all JT said and went back to work, surreptitiously wiping away a bit of drool with his sleeve.

Chris made himself a cup of tea to take with him. "I'll see what I can get," he promised and left.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ffion hummed as she made herself some toast. She knew one or both of them had to be awake, she'd heard the shower. She took her tea and toast and went back to her room to figure out what to wear for the drive home and what to pack to wear for dinner tomorrow. She sent off a quick text to Rhys to find out what time they were leaving.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\

Rhys heard his phone go off and he put down his tea to read it. He looked at Shaz.

"Fee wanting to know what time we leave today. She was never any good with stuff like that."

He texted her back and then looked at Shaz.

"You ready to go in for our big half day? Though if I'm being honest, I don't see the point. Oh, did I tell you, Ginger is going to move in with Simon? Apparently when Simon went back home for that wedding of his friends, they all just fell in love with Ginger. And Ginger's family likes Simon just as much, so Simon popped the question as it were."

He rinsed his mug and gave Shaz a sidelong glance. "I don't suppose you fancy moving in here? With me?"

Shaz smiled at him as she cradled her half empty mug in her hands, taking all the heat it could give.

"I know I've said it before but they are soo cute together," she smiled and looked up at him. Move in? Here? With him? Permanently? She grinned. She practically lived here anyway. She felt as though she spent half her time at work and divided it equally between her place and Rhys', depending on Ginger and Simon.

"I'd love to," she stood, drained her coffee and placed the mug in the sink. She looked at him slyly.

"Besides, you'd get lonely here all on your own!"

She grinned and waved at Ginger as he appeared and chuckled lightly at the pair of them. Proper comedy duo! She snorted silently.

Rhys smiled at her and kissed her when Ginger went outside.

"I can't wait till we get to Cardiff," he said to Shaz. "I'm excited you're finally going to meet the rest of my family. Fee likes you and Katie and her husband did, too."

He rinsed his mug in the sink. "We should get going."

Shaz smiled. She liked Katie, too. She was effectively Ffion's alter-ego. They were so opposite it was untrue. But she liked them both well enough. Rhys' family had all been lovely so far. But she was a little apprehensive about meeting his parents.

She had called her Mum and apologised for not being home for Christmas but had promised to go down to Essex for the Granger New Year Celebration. She had smiled as he mum quizzed her on where she was going for Christmas and she had replied Cardiff to meet her boyfriend's family. So, of course her mum had insisted on her bringing Rhys down for New Year. She chuckled softly and grabbed her coat and the final box and followed the others outside.

He went and picked up one of Ginger's boxes and carried it out to Simon's car.

Ginger smiled his thanks at Rhys and he and Simon went back in to get another box.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\

Ginger finished packing the last box and sighed. He would miss living with his best mate, but they'd see each other at work and they'd still get together for their movie marathons and now that Rhys had settled down with Shaz, he'd insisted they add Dr. Who to their regular watching. Ginger had laughed and Rhys had given him a look. He looked at the photo album, now nearly full of pics of himself and Simon and their friends. He flipped to the back, to the ones taken at a wedding he and Simon had gone to a few months back. He'd been so pleased when Simon had invited him to the wedding of his friends Cherry and Jimmi. In fact, Cherry was his best mate and they had shared a house. Ginger was nervous, but also excited to meet such close friends of Simon.

While they were there, an older couple had seen Simon and greeted him warmly. Ginger had walked over and Simon introduced Ginger as his "friend" which meant they didn't know about Simon. The woman had asked Simon how he had been up to since he hadn't been seen around in so long. Ginger still remembered the cold as ice look on the woman's face when Simon had told them he lived in Walford. She had turned and walked away without another word. Ginger wondered why, but kept his mouth shut. The man had spoken for a few more minutes and then went after his wife. He'd asked Simon what is was about. Simon had shrugged. He had no idea either.

Ginger came out of his room and drained his tea.

"Si should be here soon," he said. "It's gonna be weird not sharing this place with you," he said and mussed Rhys' hair.

"Yes, but I'll still have to put up with you every day at work," Rhys complained dryly. Ginger rolled his eyes and ran to get the door when the buzzer went off.

Ginger thanked Rhys and Shaz for their help and climbed into Simon's car. He waved as they drove off. Ginger would unload his things and then go to the station for a bit while Simon was in the surgery.

Rhys made sure their bags were stowed safely in the boot before opening the car door for her so she could get in and then drove them to the station.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\\\/\

Rowan and JT managed to get the baking finished just before Christian and Syed turned up. She had invited them to the party, though Christian might be more keen to spend it with his sister. Syed hadn't said yet, but she welcomed them both. She loaded the cases into canvas carrier bags and Christian handed over the money.

"I hope you and Syed will at least stop by for a bit, you know you are both more than welcome," she told him. Christian gave her a quick hug.

"I know, and thanks love. We'll stop by before we go out with Jane."

Rowan nodded and locked the door behind Christian as he left. Rowan realized something and turned to JT.

"JT, did you invite Roxy and Amy?"

"Ah, dammit," JT said and slapped his forehead, then grinned at Rowan. "Of course I did. I even got them presents. It's kind of weird celebratin' Christmas," JT commented.

"You get used to it," Rowan sighed. Syed nodded.

"Though I generally just say 'Happy Holiday'," Syed told him. JT nodded.

"Anyway, yeah, I invited her. She's having some family thing tomorrow though. I think she invited me, but I'm not sure. I don't get stuff she says sometimes," he shrugged and started another batch of muffins.

Rowan looked at Syed and they both chuckled before getting back to the baking.

Ffion toyed with her straw as she sat and filled salt and pepper shakers. Most people were getting things to go before continuing on with their shopping. She thought about going into the kitchen to help Rowan and the others with the cooking, but she was no good at cooking. She would just be in the way.

Rowan put the finishing touches on the ham and stuck it in the oven. She left JT in charge and went upstairs to finish wrapping presents.

JT and Syed chatted as they prepped the other dishes Rowan had planned for the party.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\\

Whitney bounced in the cab.

"I'm so excited. We are going to have so much fun."

She pulled a sheet of paper from her bag. "Here's everything I have to get."

She grinned.

Molly read through Whitney's list and nodded.

"Wow, Whit! You've got tonnes!" she exclaimed.

"I've got to get something for Gene. Something for Dad, Mum an I think that I'm going to get something for Rowan, Syed and JT too, an I think that I'm going to get something for the baby as well," she grinned. "I already bought a present for you and Peter!"

Whitney chuckled. "I have a lot more to buy for, the kids for one thing, most of this is for them. Yours is the only present I've already bought! I feel like I've got nothing done," she remarked as she climbed out of the cab and paid the driver.

She grabbed Molly's arm and looked up at the shopping center.

"Here we go!"

Whitney looked around at the shops until she found a good toy one and went inside to get presents for the kids.

Molly spent some time looking over baby clothes. She didn't know whether she would get a brother or sister. So she chose yellow. Neutral. That way it didn't matter. The outfit had a giraffe on. She loved it.

Whitney looked at the outfit Molly had chosen. "So, are you hoping for a brother or sister, or are you still undecided?" She clutched the presents she was getting her brothers and sister as she and Molly walked to the register to pay.

Molly shrugged.

"I still don't mind. I think Mum wants a boy. I mean, she's already had a girl," she pointed at herself with a smile. "But, I don't know. I'm not really bothered. And mum is refusing to find out whether it's a girl or boy, so all the baby clothes so far are yellows and creams. I don't see why you can't put a boy baby in girl's clothes and vice versa," she shrugged.

"I know," Whitney said as she paid and took her bags. "Loads of men wear pink shirts, and men who aren't gay either. Max Branning, for example, he's not gay and I've seen him wear pink shirts before. So," she said with a long breath, "I think we need a quick caffeine break."

She grinned.

Molly nodded her agreement.

"My point exactly. Mind you," she grinned. "I'm not sure what Gene's reaction will be if it is a boy and he ends up in pink, girly clothes" She giggled and nodded again.

Molly scanned the street.

"Starbucks or Costa?"

"We can go just there, looks okay," Whitney said, pointing at a little place just across from the toy store. "Where should we go after this?" She asked as she started over to the little coffee shop.

Molly nodded and headed along with Whitney to the coffee house she had pointed out.

"Well, I need something for Gene. But if I'm honest I don't have a clue what to get him," she sighed. "Mum's easy enough, she's been denying that she's craving hazelnuts, but I know she is. So I've got her some chocolate with hazelnuts in," she grinned.

Whitney gnawed at her lip thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I can see he would be tough, innit," she commiserated.

She sipped her coffee and watched the passers-by, eyeing the fit blokes that walked by a little regretfully. As much as she liked hanging out with Molly and Peter, as their relationship continued they sometimes got a bit more smushy, causing Whitney to often feel like a massively huge third wheel.

"Maybe something for the car?" she turned to Molly, her eyebrows up and her expression curious.

Molly nodded her agreement.

"Maybe..." she sighed "I'll have to keep an eye out. Something here has to be suitable and I have to get him something. He's not just Mum's boyfriend anymore. He's my stepdad," she added as she looked around at the shops nearby. What the hell were you supposed to buy for a Mancunian DCI with a fantastic car?

Whitney looked at her watch.

"It's nearly 4, should we get a cab now to the party you think?"

Molly looked down at what she was wearing and nodded. It would be fine for the party. They all knew what she looked like anyway.

She nodded and sent a text off to Alex to tell her she was going to the party.

"Right, I'll call Charlie"

"You can't call Charlie, he's in Walford, it'll take him hours to get here. Look, there's loads of cabs there, let's just grab one and go. If we split the cost it shouldn't be so bad," Whitney said and hitched all her bags onto one arm to wave at one of the cabs pulling up.

"C'mon, Moll!" she said and hurried over to it.

Molly made sure she had everything before hurtling after Whitney. She climbed in as Whitney gave the directions and looked at her phone as it went off in her hand. She read the text and looked at Whitney. Too stunned to speak she handed her the phone so she could read the text.

Once Whitney had handed the phone back she hastily dialled her mum's mobile. Gene had sent a text. She almost laughed out loud. She wondered how long it had taken him to send it.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\\

Jane accepted the bags from her brother and began to immediately stock the display cases. She had to charge more than Rowan had so she would make some money, but no one seemed to mind. The fact that the muffins were not only delicious, but quite large helped a great deal.

"We still coming to yours tomorrow?" Christian asked her.

"I hope so, I bought a turkey and everything," she replied.

"Can I come?" Peter asked as he came inside with the broom.

"What about your father?"

Peter shrugged. "I don't have to be at home all day."

"And what about your girlfriend?"

"I'm seeing her tonight."

Jane shrugged. Kid had an answer for everything. "I don't mind if you come for dinner."

Peter grinned and went to the back to do the washing up.

Rowan smiled at Gene as he stopped in and bought a few of the muffins Alex liked and a breakfast burrito for himself.

"How's Alex doing?"

"Fine," he replied smugly. "I think we're going to have a footballer in the family."

Rowan chuckled at his comment and handed him his change.

"We'll see you tonight then."

Gene waved as he took a bite of the burrito and left.

He eyed Adam as he got to the station. The man wasn't looking too great.

"Problem, Skip? Been dipping your wick somewhere you shouldn't?" he asked as he walked past.

He walked in to where his team was sitting.

"So, what have we got so far?"

"Mostly fights between the last minute shoppers so far, Guv. Nothing big the plods can't handle."

"Good, let's hope it stays that way."

He went to the kitchen and made himself a cup of tea before going outside to smoke.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The nurse scrolled down Alex's phone. She hadn't stopped screaming for somebody named Gene since she had got in the ambulance. Apparently the man who had been in the ambulance with her wasn't her husband. Her ex. That was interesting. You found out a lot of interesting bits of information in this job. She spotted 'Home' programmed into Alex's phone and dialled it. It rang out. She left a message just in case and kept looking through numbers. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

'Gene-Work'

She shrugged and dialled it. She heard a gruff voice announce himself as DCI Hunt. Same surname as Alex. Husband? Father? or Brother?

"Mr Hunt? Alex has been admitted to Walford hospital. She's giving birth and screaming for you," she informed him in a businesslike tone.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gene sat a moment in silence. Had he heard right? She wasn't supposed to go for a month.

"You are joking me," he said, his tone low, knowing that she probably wasn't.

He slammed the phone down, swept from the office and drove like a maniac to the hospital. He shoved his way in, looking around frantically for maternity. He strode down the hall, his face a storm as he reached maternity and bellowed Alex's name.

His hand snaked out and grabbed a passing orderly.

"Where is she? Where is my wife?" he demanded, then his eye fell on Peter, Alex's ex. He growled low in his throat and shoved the frightened orderly away as he advanced on Peter, grabbed him by the neck, slammed him against the wall and lifted him up.

"What have you done to her you bastard!" Gene snarled, punctuating each word by slamming Peter against the wall.

Peter snarled. She had married him! That idiot. Peter studied his face as the man saw him. Not good. Before he knew it Gene was slamming him against a wall and yelling at him. He sneered at him and aimed a punch at his gut.

"I. Did. Nothing." he spat and he fought against Gene to get down off the the wall.

"Stupid bitch went into labor," he snarled as he tried again to push Gene away. This man was a rock.

Alex heard Gene yelling for her and moaned in pain as another contraction hit her. This wasn't supposed to happen yet. The baby was early. Fucking Peter. A trail of obscenities, cursing her ex spilled from her lips as she fought her way through the pain. She felt it finish and braced herself for the next one.

Peter listened to Alex in the next room as she cursed him to high heaven. He smirked and nodded at the door,"no need to tell you where she is," he growled as he tried again to make Gene let go before he cut off his air supply.

Gene's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared as he fought back the urge to break the man's neck.

He brought the man down to eye level and leaned his face close until he was nose to nose.

"After all she's done for you, yes, all she's done for you. She didn't keep Molly from talking to you, or forbid Molly from seeing you. She never even says a bad word about you where Molly might hear. She's been doing her best to keep that girl from hating her pathetic waste of a father," Gene hissed. "Though I don't know why she bothers."

Gene slammed him against the wall again. "She wasn't due for another month. If something goes wrong, if anything happens to Alex, it will be down to you and I will kill you." Gene snarled, enunciating the last few words through clenched teeth. He saw hospital staff running over and he yanked Pete away from the wall and shoved him hard down the corridor, away from the room where Alex was. He spun on his heel and went into the room where Alex was screaming.

Peter staggered as Gene released him. The guy was serious. He would kill, or at least hurt him badly, of anything happened to Alex. He straightened himself and massaged his throat. The man's grip was strong. Gene. A face to the name. He was welcome to her.

Peter wondered whether he should hang around. He felt a bit bad that he had pushed Alex into premature labor. But all he wanted was to see Molly. It was Christmas for Christ's sake!

"Bloody Nora, woman, you can't half scream," Gene whispered in her ear. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.

Alex squeezed his hand and held in the scream as another contraction hit. She didn't want to burst his eardrums. But she was worried. The baby would be premature. How severely she didn't know.

"Gene," she said in a weak voice. "The baby will be okay won't it?" she asked desperately, seeking the reassurance that only he could give her.

Gene wrapped his other hand around hers and looked at the midwife who gazed back at him.

"I'm not sure, she's not dilating very fast," the woman began. Gene rolled his eyes.

"I don't want the details, just tell me, will she be okay?"

The woman sighed. "We'll see."

"See, they'll take care of you. You'll be fine."

Alex's eyes widened in worry at the nurse's words. Not good. She frowned at Gene as he tried to reassure her.

"It's not me I'm worried about!" she told him and her face contorted as pain shot through her once more. She hoped she wouldn't be in labour for as long as she was with Molly. That had been far, far too long.

Her eyes darkened as the pain ebbed away.

"Is he still out there?" she asked bitterly as she looked toward the door that one of the nurses had just left by.

The midwife sighed. She hated the over-dramatic ones, they never understood when you were joking. She walked around and put an arm under Alex's back.

"Come on, we have to get you up and walking," she told Alex in a no-nonsense tone.

"But she's having a baby, she should be laying down!" Gene argued.

The midwife glared across the bed at him.

"No, she shouldn't. She needs to walk, get some gravity on her said, get things going. Now, either help me get her on her feet or go because you are not helping this situation at all."

The midwife wrapped her arm around Alex and grabbed her legs to help her slide them off the bed and stand.

"You're not really that early, Mrs. Hunt. I've looked at your chart. Two, three weeks early tops, that's nothing. Happens all the time. So calm down and let's get you walking around the room, alright?"

She narrowed her eyes at Gene and dared him to defy her.

"I don't know if that f..." he broke off, mindful of the other woman, "bloody toerag is out there or not. Hopefully, he's run far."

Alex nodded and let the nurse help her to stand, she placed a hand on her tummy as she stood and let her legs take her weight. She looked up at Gene as she took careful steps and nodded.

"Why is he even here?" she asked in an attempt to take her mind off the pain by occupying it with something else.

"Well, I thought he brought you here," Gene said as he ducked under her arm to help her walk, finally earning himself a small smile from the midwife, who excused herself.

"I'll be back to check on you in just a bit. Keep her walking, and there's ice chips in that cup over there," she pointed.

Alex used Gene as support as he walked her around. He was a lot more stable than the nurse had been. And he was a comforting presence too. She clutched at him as she shuffled around the room.

"No, not here as in the hospital. I mean here as in Walford! His parents live the other side of London, why come here?"

Gene was glad when Alex went into hard labor. He didn't really want to be there, but she had a death grip on his hand. He had to admit he'd felt a great deal of relief when the midwife had come back, interrupting his ability to answer her question about why her ex was here. It was really Molly's place to tell her mum what she'd done, not his.

"Won't be long now," the midwife said and looked at him. He nodded and wished Alex would let him go so he could get out of the room.

Alex looked over at her phone as it beeped. She let go of Gene's hand and looked pleadingly at him to check it. Her contractions were coming quicker and more often. She did as she was told and breathed her way through, waiting as patiently as she could until she was told to push. She wanted her baby out. She barely noticed the screaming she was doing as she followed the instructions the nurses gave her, answering back and yelling as she forced a person out of her.

Gene heaved a relieved breath as she let go his hand and ordered him to get her phone. He grabbed up the tiny thing and after a glare from one of the nurses, went out into the hall to look. It took him awhile, but he figured out how to read the text. Molly was on her way to the party.

He headed outside for a smoke. Alex would be awhile, he had time. He looked around and decided to reply to the text. He sat down on the bench for smokers, outside and away from the door, and began to slowly and carefully type a message. How aggravatingly tedious!

"Your dad showed up you need to tell your mum why you should also know that bastard tried to kick things off and put your mum in labor at hospital now."

He growled when it wouldn't let him type any more and sent it.

He finished smoking and went back inside.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alex lay gasping on her bed as her baby was weighed and checked. She tried to catch her breath. She ached and her throat hurt. She guessed she must have been yelling pretty loud. She was aware vaguely of someone talking to her and then a face came into view.

"Mrs. Hunt, would you like to see your baby?"

Alex sat up and nodded, unable to speak as she held out her arms to take the little bundle from the nurse. She held her baby gently to her and peered at the tiny face.

"He's perfectly fine. No problems as far as we can see. Congratulations."

Alex didn't look up. He. She had given birth to a boy. A tiny, beautiful baby boy. With a pout to rival his father's. She chuckled softly and looked up at the nurse.

"Where's Gene?" she asked, her voice a little hoarse.

"I'll get him for you" the nurse replied and walked out of Alex's room. She spotted Gene standing in the hall.

"Congratulations, Mr Hunt. Your baby is perfectly healthy," she smiled then looked back at the door. "She's asking for you."

Gene looked up from the floor and over at the nurse. He pushed himself from the wall and went inside the room. He walked over to the bed and looked down at Alex and the baby.

"Is it...boy or girl?" he asked uncertainly.

Alex smiled at him.

"A boy," she said happily and carefully let go of her son with one hand, making sure he was secure in her one armed hold on him, and reached it up to tug Gene's face down to hers. She kissed him.

"We've got a son, Gene," she told him happily. "You're a daddy."

A ringing sound caught her attention as she identified it as her phone. She reached her hand into Gene's pocket and pulled it out. A disapproving glare from the nurse prompted her to reach for Gene's warrant card, too. No way was this woman stopping her from talking to her daughter.

"It's to do with work," she said in answer to the nurse's glare.

She answered the phone.

"Molls?"

"Mum! Oh my god! Are you okay? The baby isn't supposed to be here for a few more weeks!"

"Calm down, Molly, we're both fine."

"Both?" she questioned. Why would there be anything wrong with Gene? Then it hit her. "You've had it? You've had the baby?"

Alex chuckled. "You've got a little brother, Molls. A beautiful baby brother," she sighed happily.

Molly squeaked with excitement and looked at Whitney. "It's a boy! I've got a brother," she exclaimed happily then put the phone back to her ear. "What's his name?"

"Good grief Molly! I only gave birth a few minutes ago! Give me a chance!" Alex answered in exasperation.

"Sorry. When can I see him?"

"Well, I'm supposing that I've got to stay here for a bit so you can come any time, Molls. I really don't mind. Enjoy the party won't you? And apologise for my absence, too."

"Not that's it's your fault, I shouldn't told you about Dad. Sorry."

"We can talk about that later Molly. Just have fun, won't you."

"Sure. Bye Mum. Love you."

"Love you, too."

Alex shut off the phone and handed it back to Gene to put in his pocket. She looked at the baby, then at Gene.

"Would you like to hold him Gene?" she smiled.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan went outside to smoke and looked at the half-deserted street. So many people leaving work early to go home and prepare for their holiday. She smiled. Since she didn't celebrate Christmas, she'd always chosen to work or not do much of anything. She was glad she was having this dinner party. She hadn't realized the holiday could be so much fun.

She thought over the various presents she was giving, many of them she had made, simply because she didn't see anything she wanted to buy and it gave her something to do these past nights when Chris was working, especially after JT had started spending nights away with Roxy. She had worried at first, but Roxy seemed to be treating him well and seemed to truly care about him. Rowan knew JT had already lost his heart, though it would likely take awhile for him to admit it.

She tossed her cigarette in the ash can and went back inside.

Just after lunch, Rowan let Ffion leave. It wasn't very busy and Rowan felt between the three of them, she, Syed and JT could handle it.

Ffion bounded cheerfully out after giving them all effusive hugs. She slung her bag over her shoulder and hurried to the station.

She walked in and flashed Adam a bright smile and a wink before heading back to where her brother was.

Adam averted his eyes from Ffion as she passed. His wife hadn't been happy when he had turned up with a hangover, claiming to have passed out at the station. Which was partially true. For all the good his memory was he might have well have passed out at the station. He certainly remembered nothing after around 12.

Ffion sighed at Adam's behavior and shook her head. Men were such babies. It wasn't like she had forced him. Okay, she was willing to admit she'd forced the snog, yes, but she hadn't held a gun to his head when she asked if he wanted to come back to hers for some full sex. He'd said yes quickly enough, and he'd nearly torn her dress in his haste to get it off her.

She waved at her brother and Shaz.

"It was soooo slow that Rowan said I could leave early, so here I am. What shall we do then? I don't really fancy going back to my room and if I go to the pub, well, I'll start drinking won't I? That won't be good."

She dropped into a chair and began to spin around in it.

"I could go and..."

"No," Rhys cut her off. "You stay here where I can keep my eye on you."

"Oh, Rhys," she sighed and rolled her eyes. "I wasn't going to do anything but wander around."

"No, stay put."

"Oh, FINE," she grouched and picked up a magazine and started leafing through it.

Shaz looked up at Ffion and Rhys' argument. She sighed. She wondered whether this would reflect how they were going to be this weekend. She was curious about the rest of his family too. She liked Katie and Ffion but had to admit she was nervous about the others.

Rhys had heard the gossip and he had no intention of letting Ffion roam the station. She'd end up shagging someone in the toilets which would cause a scene no doubt. There was also the fact that one of the PCs had confided that Ffion had cornered Adam outside the men's toilets and snogged him, and then shortly after he'd left with her. No need to guess the outcome of that.

He sighed. When had she got like this? She'd always been clingy, moreso after Gareth had come along and she wasn't the baby anymore. Dad was on the road working a lot and Fee had just naturally drifted to Rhys. He wondered if it was his leaving that had caused it. She'd always been fragile and always seemed to need approval.

He glanced at Shaz. Maybe he should see if the couldn't get Shaz to have some sort of heart to heart with Fee and find out what her trouble was. He certainly couldn't talk to her about it.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan saw that lunch wasn't going to pick up and let Syed leave. She and JT easily handled the few people that stopped in for a break from their shopping while finishing up the dishes for the party.

She listened with only half an ear while JT chatted on about the cute things Amy had done that past week and things Roxy had said. She felt decidedly odd and couldn't put her finger on it. Something was happening, she wished she knew what. She went outside for another cigarette and tried to shake off the feeling of anxious anticipation that kept creeping up on her.

She smiled as she saw Chris walking towards her. She wished desperately things weren't so bad between them.

"We might be short two guests for the party," he told her slyly.

Rowan looked at him in surprise.

"Why?" she hoped nothing was wrong. A slow smile spread across his face.

"Guv got called away, seems Alex went into labor today."

Rowan gasped. "I _knew_ something was going on! It's been driving me a bit crazy," she remarked. Chris chuckled.

"So, I don't think they'll make it."

"Probably not," she agreed and her expression went misty and soppy. "Oh, that's just fantastic," she sighed as she clasped her hands together.

Rowan waited until JT came downstairs, freshly showered and dressed for the party, and began to load the last minute things into the oven to cook. She sent Chris and JT into the dining room to make sure the table was set up the way she wanted it and looked over the decorations.

The place looked quite festive she had to admit. She put the presents for her friends under the tree.

"So, what did you get me," Chris asked.

"You'll see," she said and shook her head.

JT picked up his phone and called Roxy to make sure she was coming.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After fighting the crowds, Jack was glad to get home. He dumped the bags of shopping on the table and looked at Alyssa.

"Never doing that again."

He looked at the clock. Nearly four! It had taken four hours just to fight traffic and fellow shoppers. He shook his head.

"Never."

Alyssa chuckled. He was right, the queues at the supermarket had been horrendous and the traffic throughout London had been the worst she had ever seen. She was glad they had left in the morning to sort the rest of the food shopping out.

She reached for the bag and began to unpack items and put them in the fridge. She had made sure the bags were packed according to where in the kitchen the food had to be stored. It saved time and stopped them running around the place as they unpacked.

"It's your own fault for leaving it until the last minute to get the rest of the food," she told him reasonably with a small shrug.

"Well, I didn't do it on purpose. I hadn't realized I'd forgotten stuff," he complained as he helped her put the groceries away.

"We need to get ready for the party," he moved towards the stairs, then turned back to her. "You stay here while I get your present."

Alyssa screwed up the plastic bags into a ball in her hands and furrowed her brow curiously as he dashed away. What present? She sighed, resigned, and put the new plastic bags into a draw with the other ones. She sat down at the table and waited patiently for him to get back.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ronnie smiled at Ray as she got out of the shower. She slid her dripping arms over his wet shoulders and kissed him as she draped a towel over his head and drew it over his shoulders.

She grabbed her own towel and began to dry herself off as she gazed at him. She padded into the bedroom and pulled out the dress she was going to wear and began to get ready.

Ray smiled and dragged out his clothes. Ronnie had taken him on another shopping trip last month to buy him 'suitable winter clothes'. He had gone along with it, but refused yet again to let her chose his pants. That was something he wouldn't change. No way. He liked his boxers, they were comfy and did what they were supposed to.

He dressed swiftly and looked over at Ronnie.

"Ready?"


	2. Chapter 2

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 2  
**

Roxy put her hand on Amy's shoulder to stop her dancing as she dug in her bag for her phone.

"Heya," she answered as she tried to get Amy to sit so she could put her shoes on. Ever since she had said they were going to a party Amy had been far too excited to stand still, getting her dressed had been near impossible.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Jack came back down with a canvas bag full of wrapped gifts and her ring stashed securely in his trouser pocket. He grinned at her.

"Anybody wanting a ride with us?" he asked her curiously.

Alyssa nodded.

"I've already texted Ronnie and she says that she and Ray would like one," she said as she followed him into the hall and swapped her pumps for her black heels. She pulled her big coat off the rail and looked at the dismally grey sky. She sighed. Winter was only good if it snowed. Without snow it was just gloomy.

She looked at the bag.

"Are you sure that you've got everything in there?" she asked, indicating the bag as she picked up the car keys for him and held them so they dangled off her finger.

He grinned at her and found himself moving his hand to pat his pocket and covered it by reaching for the keys.

"I'm sure," he said and handed her the bag as he walked out the door.

Alyssa gave him the keys and took the bag from him as she followed him outside and into the car.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\

Ronnie nodded and finished pulling on her shoes.

"I did tell you I said yes when Alyssa asked if we'd like a ride?"

She walked into the front room and grabbed up the bag she'd put the gifts in. She pulled on her coat and opened the door and made her way down the stairs. She looked back at Ray and smiled and then caught her breath. She closed her eyes and shook her head, she swayed as the dizziness washed over her and she latched both of her hands onto the rail and stumbled. She felt her ankle wrench and cried out.

She clutched at the rail and lowered herself onto a step. She pulled off her shoe and flung it against the wall. She began to curse as she watched her ankle swell.

Ray heard her yelp of pain and rushed to her.

"Ronnie? Ron" he said as he ran to her side. He slumped to the step and sat next to her as she took off her shoe. He cringed at the sight of her ankle. That didn't look good

"Ronnie, is it broken? Can you wiggle your toes?" he asked as he went down a step to get a closer look at her. "What happened?" he asked. It was unlike her to fall like that.

"I don't know," she wailed. "I felt a bit dizzy and I thought I was going to fall. I caught the rail, but I landed wrong on my foot. Stupid heels."

She reached out and touched her ankle and hissed.

"Can you get me my boots, well, one of them anyway. I need something without heels and I should get this damn thing X-rayed. Just typical," she ranted and threw her other shoe at the wall in frustration.

She heard the horn honk and groaned. She levered herself up and carefully hopped down the last few steps and opened the door. She waved at Alyssa to come in, picked up one of her shoes, stuck it under the door and sat down on the bottom step while she waited for Ray to come back with her boot.

Ray went back into the flat and dug in the wardrobe for her flat boots. She was getting that X-ray as soon as possible. He was not having her in unnecessary pain.

Alyssa got out of the car curiously and made her way into the building. She looked at Ronnie and her bare feet. That ankle was almost twice the size of her other one.

"God, Ronnie! What happened?" she asked as she crouched down to see.

Ray came down the stairs and handed the boots to Ronnie.

"Hey, Alyssa."

He looked down at Ronnie and frowned. He turned back to Alyssa. "Can you drop us off at the hospital? I want to get that sorted," he said gesturing to Ronnie's ankle.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\

"Do you want me to send a cab for you darlin or do you already have one on the way?" JT asked when he heard Roxy's voice on the phone.

"Taxi? No, I'm taking the car, Amy's car seat's in there and it's just easier than waiting on a taxi. Cheaper, too. Besides, this means I can park out front and bring everything with me, hang on," she stopped as Amy cried put JT's name and giggled wildly. Roxy finally managed to get her shoes on and straightened her coat. "Sorry, somebody is a bit over excited," she told him with a fond smile at Amy.

"Okay then darlin'. Tell Punkin I'll see you both soon."

He blew kisses down the phone, causing Rowan to cover her mouth to stifle a snort of laughter and shut his phone.

"It ain't funny," he glared at her.

"No, not funny at all," she agreed, before turning to go into the kitchen and bursting into giggles.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\

Whitney read the text and her eyes went wide.

She handed it back to Molly and stared in shock.

"Brothers aren't that bad," she commented and patted Molly's shoulder and grinned hugely.

Molly smiled at Whitney.

"I've got a baby brother. Wow, what a Christmas present!" she said as they wound their way through the busy London streets.

Whitney giggled. "No kidding. How you going to top that?"

Molly grinned.

"I bought hazelnut chocolate!" she said with a wink then sighed. "I know the perfect present for Gene. But I can't get it!" she sighed then looked at Whitney. "We're too young to purchase alcohol and I reckon that Gene would like some rare beer! He loves beer."

"So you get someone else to buy it," Whitney replied with a grin. "There will be loads of people at the party who would do it for you."

Molly nodded and thought carefully. She could ask Chris or Ray. They would help. Hopefully. She chuckled.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\

Gene stared down and listened to the conversation. He flashed a frown at the nurse and she bolted.

Gene's eyes widened slightly at Alex's question and he shook his head.

"No, he's alright," he replied. He'd drop it or something, he was sure of it. He rubbed his face and let out a long breath.

"So, shouldn't you name him?"

Alex frowned at him.

"You mean 'we'" she told him. "You do get a say Gene, he's your son too. But, we are not calling him Gene!" she said sternly.

Her expression softened and she made him sit on the bed beside her. He was going to have to learn how to hold a baby at some point. He might as well get used to it now. She used her one hand to mould his arms into position and gave him a look that told him not to argue.

Alex carefully placed the baby into his father's arms and then rearranged Gene so their son was safe and secure.

"See, nothing to it" she smiled as she kissed his cheek and looked down at the tiny bundle.

"Now, names!"

Gene huffed out a breath and narrowed his eyes at Alex.

"Bolls, just name the flamin kid," he growled and stared at the baby, hoping he didn't drop it.

Alex glared at him and shook her head

"No!" she snapped "Your kid, you name him," she huffed and folded her arms as she sat back into the pillows on the hospital bed and watched him through narrowed eyes. He just couldn't be cooperative could he! All she had asked was for him to say a name! Even Peter had managed that, but no! Gene Bloody Hunt had to be difficult.

Gene blew out a breath.

"I don't know, Bolls," he snapped and thrust the baby back at her. "I didn't expect to have to do this."

He shoved his hands in his pockets and paced across the room then walked back. He looked out the window, why did he have to name the baby? He thought she would have already had names picked out. She always planned ahead. That was what she did.

He sighed and waved his arms and dropped them to his sides.

"Sam," he finally blurted.

Alex nodded as she rocked their baby in her arms.

"That wasn't so hard," she muttered and looked up at him.

"Sam Hunt?" she tried it and smiled. "I like it," she agreed as she gazed up at him then back at her baby "It suits him, too," she murmured.

He had picked the first name, she would choose the middle name. She absent mindedly rocked Sam in her arms as she ran a list through her mind. She sighed as she ended up with two names of significance. Timothy and Evan. Her Dad or her Godfather? She tried each in her head.

Samuel Evan or Samuel Timothy?

She looked back up at Gene.

"I think I've got it," she smiled. "Samuel Evan Hunt."

"Sam Tyler was my friend, I couldn't think of anything else," he replied shortly. He bent down and kissed her. "Mind you, I'm glad this is all over with."

He dropped into the chair next to the bed and crossed his boots.

"Suppose you should call and let people know what's going on. We were supposed to be at a party."

Alex nodded and watched him settle himself in the chair, then handed him Sam, she waited until they were both comfortable and she was confident that Gene wouldn't drop him, then reached down and took her phone out of his pocket and sent off a text to Molly. 'Samuel Evan Hunt.' Then she dialled Rowan's number.

Gene leaned back in the chair, holding the baby stiffly. He tried not to jump when she reached in his pocket for her phone. Why not just leave the bloody thing on the table instead of constantly reaching into his pockets? He frowned and watched her make a call.

/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\/\

Roxy smiled as JT hung up and looked down at Amy.

"JT says hello."

Amy smiled up at her mum and started to babble excitedly.

"JTeeeeee! Parrrteeee! Farrver Chrisssmas!" she squealed and Roxy sighed and lifted Amy into her arms.

"Yes we are going to JT's Christmas Party, but you have to be good in the car honey, okay?"

Amy nodded eagerly. "Okay," she agreed and Roxy kissed her forehead. "Good girl."

Roxy strapped Amy into her car seat then checked the presents for everyone were safely in the boot before climbing into the front and starting the engine.

Roxy pulled up outside the restaurant and climbed out of the car. She went round to the other side and uncoupled the buckles holding Amy in her car seat and lifted her out and set her down on the pavement. She grabbed the bag from the boot and took Amy's hand as they slowly made their way towards the door, Roxy matching her pace to her daughter's.

/\\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\

"I slipped on the stairs," Ronnie snarled. "I can't believe it!"

She huffed out an annoyed breath and took her boot from Ray. She yanked it on and grabbed the stair rail and pulled herself up. She grabbed onto Ray and let him help her hop to the car.

Jack agreeably drove them to the hospital.

"Do you want us to come in?" he asked.

Ronnie shook her head and pushed at Ray to encourage him out of the car. She handed the bag to Alyssa.

"We'll head over soon as we can. Can you give those to Rowan, please? I apologize for my clumsiness," she said and climbed from the car and let Ray help her inside. She had no intention of saying anything about the dizziness.

She sat, infuriated with herself as she waited. She was finally led back and it didn't take much for the doctor to see what was wrong.

Ronnie hissed in pain as the doctor gently touched her ankle.

"Right, let's get you in for an X-ray," he said and gestured a nurse over to push the wheelchair while he went to the desk and called the X-ray techs. She held her arms up for Ray to help her onto the bed and shifted herself to a comfortable position. The X-ray tech came over and smiled.

"So," he looked at his clipboard, "Miss Mitchell, do you know if you're currently pregnant?"

Ronnie widened her eyes. "Well, I don't think so. I stopped my depo injections nearly 6 months ago."

"Are you having regular periods yet?"

Ronnie glanced at Ray, blushed and shook her head.

"Well, we should do a test just to be safe," the tech said. He called in a nurse to take Ronnie to the bathroom to take a blood and urine sample to run a pregnancy test. Ronnie looked confused. The nurse smiled.

"Sometimes the urine test isn't necessarily accurate," the nurse shrugged. "Just being cautious."

She took Ronnie back into the X-ray room and Ronnie had Ray help her up again. She sat and fidgeted until the tech came back a few minutes later, followed by the nurse.

Ray sat as they waited. He hadn't said much at all since they had got to the hospital. Pregnant? She said 6 months before it was possible. It hadn't been 6 months yet. Surely they were just being overly cautious. A glitch, that's all it was. There was no way that she could actually be...

He sat mutely next to her. Unsure of what to say to her as he waited for the results of the blood and urine tests, and of course, the for them to X-ray her ankle and fix her.

"Well, it's good news," the nurse said.

"It's not broken?" Ronnie asked, then rolled her eyes at herself. They hadn't even X-rayed yet.

The nurse chuckled.

"No, your test was positive. You're pregnant."

Ronnie could not stop her jaw from dropping as she gazed stupidly at the nurse.

"How?" she blurted out and knew how idiotic she sounded the minute the word left her mouth. She covered her face with her hands. "What I mean is, it's not been six months."

"Well, the time is really an estimate. It's not entirely accurate. Have you been doing a detox?"

Ronnie shook her head.

"No," she replied and looked at Ray, her expression confused and slightly uneasy.

Ray looked up sharply. Pregnant! He was about to ask the same question as Ronnie but she beat him to it. How? He looked over at Ronnie. She didn't look good. Nervous? Why? Why would she be nervous? He sat, confused for a moment. He wanted to talk to her properly, but that was out of the question with this nurse in the room. He was okay with spilling his heart out to Ronnie. But not around other people. Not going to happen.

He reached over for her hand and squeezed it gently as he looked back at the nurse.

"How long?" he asked. "How long has she been pregnant?"

"Well, it can't be that long," Ronnie said, her tone laced with disbelief as she looked expectantly at the nurse.

"Without knowing the date of your last period, we'd have to do a scan to get a really accurate time. The blood test can only give us a rough guess. Here, lay back for me a moment," the nurse said. Ronnie shrugged as the nurse helped her lie back. She ran her hands over Ronnie's lower abdomen, pressing gently. She included both of them in her glance and helped Ronnie sit up.

"Let's get you covered and get your ankle X-rayed, I'll see if the tech is still here to do a quick scan for you. However, I'd say it's definitely more than a few weeks."

She grabbed two of the covers and draped them over Ronnie's belly before helping her scoot back so her foot was on the bed.

"I'll get the X-ray tech back in here and see about a possible scan," she smiled tightly and left.

Ronnie looked at Ray.

"I...I don't get this, Ray, I don't. Please believe me, I didn't do anything," she said softly. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she'd been trying to make things happen faster. "She has to be wrong, Ray. How could it happen sooner?"

"She's a nurse Ronnie. It's her job to be right."

Ray looked at her and felt his heart melt. He cupped her cheek and stared down into her eyes.

"Ronnie," he murmured to make her stop talking. "If I didn't want a baby with you I would've told you to get the injection. So, all that's happened is it's happening a little sooner than we had planned," he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "If I'm honest, I'm scared shitless," he murmured quietly, she would be the only one who would ever know, and the only one to hear it from him. He would deny it if anyone asked. "But, I've got you. So how bad can it possibly be?" he said softly and kissed her cheek.

Ronnie looked at him as he spoke. He wasn't angry. He didn't think she was trying to trick him. She gave him a small smile and sighed.

"I still just don't get it," she whispered. "I'm scared, too," she confessed, then grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him soundly. One thing, all this mess had taken her mind off her ankle.

The X-ray tech came back, made sure she was well shielded and then X-rayed her ankle. The nurse came back and nodded at the tech as he left to have the X-rays developed.

"She is still here and willing to do one for you, we have to be quick though. She was nearly out the door."

Ronnie nodded and slid down to get into the wheelchair. She gestured Ray to push her so they could follow the nurse, who left the room and went down the corridor at a rapid pace. Ronnie gnawed her lip as they followed the nurse.

The tech who was going to do the scan gave Ronnie a comforting smile as they came in. She helped Ronnie from the chair and onto the table. She picked up a paper blanket and gestured Ronnie to raise her dress. The tech covered Ronnie's lower body with it and helped her lie back. Ronnie hissed as the cold gel touched her skin and looked at Ray as the woman pressed the scanner into the gel and ran it over Ronnie's lower abdomen.

"I put you at 12 to 13 weeks," the woman finally said. Ronnie felt her jaw drop open again.

"What? How can I be that far along?"

She looked at Ray then back at the tech. The woman shrugged and gave Ronnie a small smile.

"It looks healthy," she said.

Ronnie looked back over at the woman. "Thank you," she said softly as she began to wipe the gel away with the paper blanket.

Ray watched. 12 weeks. She had been pregnant for 12 weeks. He quickly did the maths. 3 Months.

He waited until she had finished with the gel stuff the nurse had put on her, he didn't pretend to understand what it was for, but went along with anyway.

So, they were going to have a baby in 6 months. Jeez. He let out a breath in a low whistle.

Ronnie heard Ray's low whistle and blanched, but kept her head down to hide her expression.

The nurse came back as Ronnie was easing herself back into the wheelchair.

"The doctor is ready with your X-ray results," she said and gestured them to hurry as she led them away. Ronnie sighed.

"Three months," she muttered. "How? I haven't done anything to..." she broke off as an idea occurred to her and she twisted in the chair and looked at Ray.

"The tea," she said suddenly. "It has to be that tea that Gem sent home with us, it's the only thing that makes sense! We haven't been eating or drinking anything else unusual."

Ronnie shook her head. That Gem was crafty!

Ray raised his eyebrows. He sighed, they should've guessed. Gem. He shook his head

"That makes sense," he agreed.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\\/\\\/\/\\

The doctor smiled at them as they came back.

"You'll be glad to know nothing is broken, just badly twisted," he said. He sat in a chair and pulled over a stool. He put Ronnie's leg up on it and began to carefully bind her ankle. Then he pulled a wraparound ice pack from a nearby drawer and put it around her ankle.

"There, that should help the swelling."

He got a pair of slipper socks from the nurse and put one on Ronnie's foot.

"There, all done," the doctor said with a smile. He got up and got her a pair of crutches. "Try to keep weight off it, watch the swelling, should be fine in a few days."

Ronnie nodded and accepted the doctor's help out of the chair. She took the crutches and hobbled over to sign paperwork. She looked at Ray.

"Better call a cab, I hope we haven't missed too much of the dinner," she shook her head. "Rowan will have saved us some, what am I thinking?"

She finished signing everything and looked at Ray.

"I don't want to tell anyone yet."

Ray dragged out his phone and dialled the number of a cab. He put it away and nodded at her. He slipped her the phone back in his pocket and carefully took her crutches away and lifted her into his arms, then handed her the crutches back. He grinned at her and kissed her.

"So, you're 3 months pregnant thanks to Gem's tea," he chuckled "Don't look so down Ronnie. You're having a kid."

"Me? Ought to say 'we'," Ronnie corrected him. "I'm not down about it. I was worried that you would think I was going behind your back to get pregnant faster."

"Are you going to carry me all the time?" she asked. "You do know this doesn't make me an invalid, don't you? And please, I don't want to tell anyone yet. Let's just keep this between us for now."

Ray rolled his eyes at her.

"I'm not carrying you because you're pregnant Ron, I'm carrying you because you're on crutches and actually, that makes you an invalid," he grinned. "Besides, this is quicker than having to wait for you while you hobble around. I'm hungry," he muttered as he reached the outside and looked around for their taxi.

"Okay, I can go along with that," Ronnie replied agreeably. She pulled her face to his and kissed him.

"I'm hungry, too and I'll tell you something else, I won't get any faster on those things if I don't practice," she teased.

She turned her head as she saw the taxi pull up.

Ray chuckled and set her carefully on the floor as he waved at the taxi. He held the door open for Ronnie and held the crutches as she climbed in, he handed them to her as he slipped in beside her and gave the address if the restaurant to the taxi driver.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

JT ran for the door when he saw Roxy's big, red vehicle pull up. He unlocked the door and opened it, hurriedly pressing a kiss on Roxy's lips and then picking Amy up.

"Hello, Punkin," he said to Amy and stepped back so Roxy could get in. He nearly shut the door when he saw the cab pull up and saw Whitney and Molly get out. He waved at them as he held the door open for them, too.

"Thanks, JT," Whitney said brightly and waited for Molly.

Molly hurried up with her bags and felt her phone go off again, she left her bags on one of the tables as she pulled out her phone. A name. She tried it. She liked it. Her brother, Sam.

Molly hugged Peter.

"Mum's given birth, I've got a little brother, Sam," she told him excitedly as she let go of him, her eyes shining with glee.

Peter grinned at her.

"That's brilliant!" he said, excited for her.

"C'mon, let's go get the presents wrapped," Whitney said and tugged Molly's arm.

Molly kissed Peter's cheek and dashed after Whitney with her bags clutched in her hand. She was very glad that they had thought to buy wrapping paper.

Christian, Syed, Jane and Peter arrived just behind Whitney and Molly. Peter ran over to help Molly with her bags. Jane looked at Christian and they both grinned. Whitney stood and held the door open for them.

"Thanks, Whit," Christian said as he walked in.

"Thank you, Whitney," Syed echoed. Rowan hurried over and began hugging her friends hello.

Chris walked up behind her and shook everyone's hands to welcome them. He patted Syed's shoulder and noticed Jack's car pulling up. He took the door from Whitney so she could go in and waved at Jack and Alyssa.

Jack took his bag of presents and gave Chris a quick wave as he climbed out of the car.

"Ray and Ronnie are going to be late. Ronnie hurt her ankle so we dropped them at the hospital."

"They aren't the only ones there. Gene got a call at the station, Alex went into labor."

Alyssa hurried in behind Jack and her eyes widened at Chris' news.

"Is she still in labour? Or has she had the baby yet?" she wanted to know as she shrugged off her big coat and moved to put it on one of the hangers down the side of the restaurant.

"I don't know to be honest. We've heard nowt," Chris replied. He turned and saw Rowan walking over and she stopped to grab her phone off a table and answer it.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Alex raised an eyebrow at him. She wished he would relax, he looked far too tense. She understood why, but if he just trusted himself...

Her attention was diverted as Rowan picked up.

Rowan looked at the caller ID and hurriedly answered the phone.

"Hello, Alex? How are you? Chris said Mr. Hunt got called to the hospital," she said and waved at Chris. She pointed at the phone.

"It's Alex," she mouthed.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Jack saw Roxy and went to tell her about Ronnie's ankle before going and grabbing himself a beer. He wound his arm around Alyssa and watched with her as Rowan spoke to Alex on the phone.

"I'm fine, Rowan. I had an argument with my ex and, well, I ended up in labor. But we're both fine," she smiled over at Gene. "I had a little boy," she grinned.

"OH! That's fantastic, Alex, congratulations!" Rowan enthused. She covered the phone.

"She had a boy," she told everyone and then turned her attention back to the phone. "What a present huh?" she joked.

Alyssa watched Rowan patiently as she spoke to Alex. She frowned. She had gone into early labor. She wasn't due for another couple of weeks.

Alex chuckled.

"I know. We've called him Sam," she informed her friend with a look at Gene and her son. "I'm sorry we can't be there for your party Rowan, but this is a bit out of my hands."

"Oh gracious Lady, Alex, no need at all to apologize. I'll pack you some up and bring it over. Can we be expecting a picture some time soon?" Rowan teased.

Alex chuckled.

"I hadn't even thought that far ahead, Rowan. We only just named him," she smiled.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

JT took Amy over so she could look at the tree. He smiled at Roxy and slid an arm around her waist.

"I set her up a little play area over there," he gestured at a corner near the window of the restaurant. "Thought it best she not be too close to the kitchen."

Roxy smiled up at him and nodded. She kissed his cheek

"Thank you," she smiled as she looked down at Amy as the tiny girl as she played with one of the red shiny baubles on the tree. She chuckled as her daughter giggled to herself.

Roxy bit back a laugh as the bauble fell off and Amy's face dropped in worry, she looked to Roxy. Roxy bent and picked the red ball off the floor and slipped it back onto the tree. She kissed Amy's forehead.

"Gentle Amy. Be gentle," she said softly as she straightened up.

Amy nodded and tapped the bauble with her finger.

"Jentel," she repeated as she looked at the bauble as it swung backwards and forwards.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Whitney upended her bags on the floor of Rowan's front room and rummaged through the small stack of boxes Rowan had left on the coffee table for them just in case. The toys had their own boxes, but the off-the-shoulder leopard print blouse and black leather belt she's bought Bianca and the dressy shirt she'd bought Ricky she didn't get boxes for.

She began to wrap, glad that they weren't here yet, otherwise she was sure the kids would have followed her and that would have been trouble.

Molly frowned. She had her mum's box of chocolates, the baby clothes, a beautiful scented candle for Rowan, and a hip flask she had eventually found for Gene. She huffed out a breath. Whitney and Peter's presents were still at home. She would have to go home and get them, it wasn't like it was far.

"What's up?" Whitney asked when she saw Molly frowning. She'd finally finished wrapping and labeling her presents and stacked them neatly next to her.

Molly looked up at Whitney as she finished wrapping the baby clothes

"I've got to nip back home, Mum was supposed to bring all the presents with her, but now she's in hospital that's not going to happen. I'm going to have to go and pick everything up," she told her as she stood and smiled as Tiffany's voice floated up the stairs.

"Guess who's here?" she grinned.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

"Let's get you over to the real toys," JT said and carried Amy over to the corner where he'd put some toys, color books and crayons for her. He went and got her a glass of juice and poured Roxy a glass of wine and brought them over.

"I just have to get some stuff out of the oven, back in a sec," he said.

He gestured what he was going to do to Rowan who was still on the phone. She nodded and smiled and tapped Chris' arm and waved at him to go help JT.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Jack got himself a beer and brought Alyssa a glass of wine. He followed JT and Chris into the kitchen and watched as they began to pull food from the ovens.

"That smells good."

"Thanks, Jack, mighty kind of you to say so," JT replied.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\

Roxy nodded and sipped her wine as he left. She looked down at Amy who had instantly grabbed the crayons and began scribbling something on a piece of paper.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

JT and Chris began carrying the dishes out and putting them where Rowan pointed on the buffet table. She saw Bianca and Ricky and their brood at the door and smiled gratefully at Jack as he went to let them in.

"Well, look, it's going to be noisy here in a minute so I won't keep you. I'll get some food over there as soon as I can," Rowan said to Alex.

"Thanks, Rowan. Oh, if she wants to could you bring Molly with you? I think she'd like to meet her brother," she said and glanced up briefly as the nurse returned for a moment. She smiled sweetly and grinned as she caught the nurse's scowl. She hadn't complained.

"Of course, will do. Get some rest, we'll see you later," Rowan told her and flipped her phone shut. She walked around and checked on the food, Chris and JT had it nearly all out.

"Okay, if everyone wants to grab their plates and get started, the food's ready," she announced and went to grab the last few things out of the kitchen.

/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\

Gene looked over as Alex talked on the phone. He didn't want to upset Alex, but he was really hungry.

Alex snapped her phone shut and reached over, past Gene and slipped it onto the table. She looked at Gene.

"Rowan's going to bring some food over later, she's said she'll bring Molly, too."

Alex yawned and covered her mouth with her hand. She was exhausted.

"I'm going to sleep," she told him. "I want to be awake when we get visitors," she said and kissed him softly, then stroked a finger down Sam's nose lightly.

"He's beautiful, Gene," she sighed happily before burrowing down in the bed on her side to face the two of them.

Gene smiled back at her, glad to hear food would be forthcoming. He watched as she fell asleep and then put the baby in the cot and rolled it over next to the bed before going outside to smoke.

/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\

Ricky and Bianca greeted everyone as they arrived and got the kids to behave long enough to put food on their plates.

/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\

Jack handed Alyssa her plate with a small bow and grinned at her.

"Look at all the mistletoe," he whispered to her with a wicked grin.

Alyssa took her plate from him as they moved towards the table laden with food. She looked around, she hadn't noticed before, she had been concentrating on Rowan's conversation with Alex. It was everywhere. She smiled and looked up at him.

"Wow! I don't think I've ever seen so much in one place before!" she commented as she took another sweeping look around. "It's beautiful."

/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\

JT kept Amy distracted so Roxy could fill her plate, then put her in a high chair positioned between where he and Roxy were sitting to get his own.

/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\

"Yeah, I know, I heard Tiffany's dulcet strains," Whitney laughed.

"Well, hey, I'll just stick my boxes under the tree and go with you. I'm sure Peter will want to go, too."

Whitney grabbed up her boxes. "C'mon, let's hurry, the food's ready," she said excitedly and bounded down the stairs.

"Hey, Peter," Whitney said as she stacked her boxes by the tree. "Molly and I are going to pop over to her place, she forgot some stuff."

"I'll come, too," he said and went over to Molly to help her with her boxes.

Molly smiled gratefully at her friends and placed the boxes under the tree, then grabbed her coat and told Rowan where she and the other two were going before making her way out of the restaurant and into the street outside.

Whitney pulled on her coat and followed Molly and Peter outside. She moved up to walk on the other side of Molly.

"Let's hurry, I'm really hungry and that food smelled good!" Whitney said with a grin.

Peter nodded.

Molly rushed home with her friends and unlocked the door. She dashed to her room the fetch the presents she had already wrapped for Whitney and Peter, then put them on the kitchen table as she cautiously went into Alex and Gene's room to retrieve the bag Alex had already packed full. She dragged it out, placed her two presents on top, then slung in over her shoulder as she grinned at them.

"Come on, that food is practically calling us!" she grinned as she ushered them back out of her house and locked the door behind her

Molly chuckled at her friends and made her way down the road with the bag full of presents.

/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\

Roxy placed a bib around Amy's neck so she wouldn't ruin her dress and got her tiny knife and fork out of her bag so the girl could feed herself.

/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\

Rowan watched everyone talking away and eating and smiled. She loved this, making food for the people she loved and having everyone enjoying it. Going home again had made her realize how much she treasured these times and promised herself to have more dinners like this.

When she finished her own meal, she got up and got two large plastic containers and packed food in them for Alex and Gene. When Molly, Whitney and Peter got back, she'd let Molly eat and then get Jack to drive them to the hospital. She was sure he wouldn't mind.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Ronnie looked at her watch. Good grief! They'd been there four hours!

"I hope there's some food left," she mumbled as she looked out at the lamp lit streets. She snorted and turned back to Ray. "What am I thinking, this is Rowan, there's probably loads of food left."

She leaned against Ray and sighed happily as she put a hand on her belly. They were going to have a baby!

Ray chuckled and eased Ronnie off him as they pulled up outside Rowan's diner. He handed a couple of notes to the driver and got out, taking the crutches with him so Ronnie could get out

"Would you like me to carry you, or would you rather use these. Either way you're a cripple," he grinned as he held her elbow to help her stand as she climbed out of the cab.

Alyssa caught sight of the cab out of the window.

"Ronnie and Ray are here!" she called out to no one in particular as the cab drove off, she left her plate and stood. Alyssa hurried to the door and opened it for them to get inside out of the cold.

"Oh, very nice, how charming you are DI Carling, calling your long-suffering girlfriend a cripple," Ronnie huffed and grabbed her crutches with a chuckle. She lightly shoved him and waved as Alyssa opened the door for them.

"I hope the food's not all gone is it?" Ronnie laughed as she went inside. It was so nice and warm! Ronnie sighed and put the crutches in one hand and shrugged off her coat. She took it to the hall and hung it up on one of the hooks and smiled as Rowan appeared behind her.

"How's your foot?"

"Not broken, just twisted it a bit."

"Well, that's good. There's still a lot of food left so help yourselves. I'm just waiting for Molly to get back and then I'm taking her and some food over to the hospital. Alex had her baby, a boy. She named him Sam."

"That's wonderful! What a present," Ronnie chuckled. She turned to look for Ray. She would need his help to get food.

"I think we all were pretty much thinking that," Rowan agreed. She picked up the containers and stuck them in a bag. She went over and spoke to Jack, who readily agreed to run Rowan and Molly to the hospital and back.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\

They reached the restaurant and Molly waited for either Whitney or Peter to open the door so she could get inside. She dropped the bag down by the tree carefully, then knelt down and unloaded the bag so the presents from her family rested with the others from everyone else.

She rose and screwed the bag into a ball and stood. She smiled at the sight of everyone she knew enjoying themselves and wished that Alex and Gene were there too. She sighed and went to get a plate of food.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Ray snorted. Long suffering? She had only been in pain for 4 hours. He followed her inside and thanked Alyssa as she let the door shut behind them.

He raised his eyebrows. Drake had given birth. Alex! He corrected himself. He had got so used to calling her by her surname that he was having a hard time adjusting to her new one. Hunt was his DCI. Drake was his fellow DI. Now there were two bloody Hunts. Too confusing by half.

He sighed at the name. Sam. Sam Tyler. Good choice. He smiled and shook his head as he caught up with Ronnie and Rowan

"Great spread, Ro," he complemented as he grabbed a plate for himself and one for Ronnie too.

"Thanks, Ray," Rowan said. She gave Ronnie a quick squeeze and looked at her curiously. She tilted her head and looked Ray up and down. What was going on here? She wanted to ask, but held her tongue as she saw Molly was back.

She patted Ray on the back as she walked past and smiled at Molly.

"As soon as you've finished eating, Jack has agreed to take you, me and some food over to the hospital for Alex and Mr. Hunt."

Rowan knew it sounded odd, but even after all these months, she could not seem to call him Gene, except when she'd been angry with him, she recalled.

Molly nodded and smiled up at Rowan.

"Thank you," she smiled back then the grin split her face."I've got a baby brother,"she squeaked before rushing off to get some food.

Ronnie smiled gratefully at Ray as she saw he had a plate for her and pointed out what she wanted.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Whitney eagerly helped herself to the food, teasing Peter by nudging him away as he reached for things. She chuckled and went to sit by Bianca to eat. She looked around at everyone. All couples. She sighed. Here she was, 18 now and still single. The party Bianca had thrown for her two weeks ago had been fun though. Ronnie had let Bianca have the VIP room at the club and there'd been loads of people there.

She applied herself to her food and listened to the chatter going on around her.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Rowan started tidying up some of the food while she waited for Molly to finish. Chris came over and helped her and she smiled at him and began to bring the pies and cakes out. She had made a festive-looking coconut cake with a light white icing covered in freshly grated coconut and a chocolate and hazelnut cream cake. She cut a couple of slices of the cakes and put those in containers to take as well.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

JT noticed Bianca's kids had left the table and gone to play with the toys so he took Amy out of the high chair and took her over there so she could play too. He cleaned up the high chair and put it back where it belonged then dropped back into his chair and slung an arm around Roxy's shoulders.

Christian nudged Roxy and grinned at her. He wholly approved of JT.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Bianca and Jane started trading joking insults back and forth as they reached the bottom of the bottle of wine they were sharing. Ricky rolled his eyes and sighed and picked up his and his wife's plates and asked Rowan where he could put them. Rowan thanked him and pointed out the sink in the kitchen.

Molly nodded and smiled up at Rowan.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Roxy rolled her eyes at her best mate. He was such a child sometimes. She gave him a playful push and leaned into JT. She twirled her wine glass in her hand as she listened to the light-hearted chatter going on around her. She looked at the clock. She would have to go soon, Amy's bedtime was fast approaching and the last thing she wanted at the family meal tomorrow was a grumpy toddler. Roxy sighed.

She had invited JT and knew that Ronnie had insisted that Ray be there too. Roxy had to admit she had been unsure about Ray at first, not her sister's usual type. She had finally got over having to blush whenever she saw him thanks to that incident where she had caught them at it. She gulped a large mouthful of wine. That was one embarrassing memory. She looked over at them and smiled. He made her happy. That's what counted.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Alyssa grabbed up Jack's empty plate along with her own and stopped him reaching for another beer.

"If you're driving to the hospital to see some police officers, then being over the limit isn't a good plan," she murmured to him, then kissed his nose. "Besides, the less you drink now, the more you can have when you get back," she added with a chuckled and followed Ricky as she took the plates through to the sink in Rowan's massive kitchen.

Jack looked at Alyssa and frowned. "I wasn't going to drink it now. I wanted you to guard it for me so I would be sure to have one when I get back," he told her smoothly and kissed her. He patted his pocket and looked to see if Molly and Rowan were ready to go yet.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Christian leaned back over to Roxy. "Let's me, you, Syed and JT all go out on the town for New Year," he suggested.

Roxy looked over at him and smiled.

"Lucky me, out on the town with 3 gorgeous blokes," she grinned back with a nod.

"I'm up for that, I'll have to see if I can get Aunty Peggy to keep an eye on Amy for me, I can't ask Ronnie, I reckon she will have plans made already," she mused out loud and looked up at JT.

"What d'you think?" she asked him. "Are you coming out with us on New Year?"

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Ronnie sat down next to Ray and smiled across at her sister. She was glad her sister had finally met someone, and she could appreciate the irony that it was one of Rowan's kin. She propped her crutches next to her against the table and set to her food. She glanced at Ray out of the corner of her eye and felt a wonderful warmth all over. She was going to have Ray's baby. She still couldn't get over it. She just hoped Ray kept it to himself. He hadn't promised, almost acted like he hadn't heard her. She didn't want things to go wrong this time.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Whitney went over and busied herself with the kids so the adults could finish eating in peace. Once they realized it was time for dessert and presents, they would be out of control.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Molly finished eating and grabbed her coat from where she had dropped it in the hall. She sighed as she looked outside. That was just 'Typical of England'. Not only was it freezing, it was also now raining. She sighed, no snow though, it hadn't been cold enough for snow all winter, it had just hovered at the temperature that allowed rain, but kept it too warm for the snow to start.

She looked around for Rowan and saw Jack get up. She smiled. She would see her brother and parents in no time at all.

"I'm game," JT drawled and noticed Rowan had brought the desserts out. He grinned. "I think it's time for the goodies."

Roxy looked over at the people gathering around the table and licked her lips.

"I hope she's made that chocolate and hazelnut cream cake. It's one of the most amazing things I've ever eaten," she said as she stood up and took his hand as she lead him over to inspect the desserts.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\\

Rowan saw Molly was ready and pulled on her coat. She gave Chris a swift kiss and picked up the containers of food and smiled at Molly. Jack led them out and opened the car quickly so they could get in out of the freezing rain. He drove them to the hospital, hoping they weren't too late and pulled near the door to drop them off.

"You go, I'll find a place to park and watch for you."

Rowan nodded and climbed out of the car and hurried to the entrance.

Jack drove away from the entrance after they had got out of the car and parked. He lit up a cigarette and pulled the ring from his pocket to look at it.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\

Ronnie finished her food and thanked Chris when he took her empty plate. He nodded and went on collecting empty plates.

Ronnie swiveled around in her chair and nudged Ray. "Cake," she whispered and gave him a pleading look.

"I'm an invalid as you pointed out after all," she said in a pathetic tone and batted her eyes.

Ray frowned at her.

"The word I used was cripple," he told her and kissed her forehead as he stood. He made his way over to the table and looked at the variety before him. He hadn't asked her what she wanted. He shrugged and picked up a slice of two different cakes. That way she could chose and he would have the other one.

Ronnie gasped in mock offense and slapped his arm.

He walked back over and handed her a small fork and set the two plates in front of her as he sat back down and took a gulp of his beer.

Ronnie looked at the slices of cake he brought back and rubbed her hands greedily before grabbing the chocolate one and sliding the other over to Ray. Surely he knew by now, always chocolate. Ronnie picked up her iced tea and took a sip, laughing at Jane and Bianca's antics and glad she had an excuse for not drinking alcohol – pain mediation for her ankle.

"Thank you," she said and put her hand on his cheek and turned him to her for a kiss.

Ray kissed her softly then pulled away and looked down at his cake.

"You're welcome! Now, get eating and let me eat mine," he told her as he looked down at the cake again. He wasn't sure what was in it, but it looked okay. Besides, if Rowan had made it then it couldn't be anything too bad. He took a mouthful and shrugged. It tasted a little like coconut. He watched Ricky and Bianca bundle their brood out of the door. He really didn't know how the guy managed with 3 kids, and Whitney. Mind you, he was curious to learn how the Guv was going to cope with his new son. And Alex. And Molly. He chuckled and tried not to think about how he was going to cope with a baby. There was plenty of time for that.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Whitney saw the desserts were out and went over and got small slices of cake for the kids and then sat the kids down at the end of the table to eat. She went ahead and included Amy with the other kids, holding the small girl on her lap so she could eat the cake instead of going to get a high chair.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Rowan led Molly through the corridors towards maternity. She asked the nurse for Mrs. Hunt and thanked her when the woman pointed.

"You ready?" she asked Molly.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Molly nodded and made her way quietly into the room. She sighed. Alex was curled up, fast asleep. She smiled as she spotted the cot. Her brother. She went and planted a soft kiss on her mum's forehead before going to the cot to peer down at the baby. She smiled. He was so tiny. Sam. She liked it. It seemed to fit. She turned to look at Rowan.

"He's adorable!" she whispered.

Alex heard the hushed voices around her. She was grateful that they were trying to keep the noise down, but it was too late. She had been woken up. She let out a sigh and pushed herself into a more upright position. A smile spread over her face as she saw Molly.

"Heya, Molls," she said getting her daughter's attention.

"Mum!"

Molly went immediately to Alex's bed, sat on the side and hugged her mother tightly.

"He's so tiny and cute," she said as Alex let go.

"I know," she answered as she stroked the hair out of Molly's face.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

"She didn't, I did," JT said and grinned at her as he cut her a slice of the cake and handed it to her.

Roxy took the cake from him with a smile of thanks. She scooped some of the cream onto a fork and ate it. She smiled. Her fork went into the cake and she took a mouthful. Delicious. She swallowed and looked back up at him.

"It's absolutely scrumptious!" she praised him with a grin before turning back to the cake greedily.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Christian looked at his sister and sighed.

"C'mon Sy, I better get my drunk as a lord sister home," he sighed and pulled out his phone. He walked over to Peter. "Are you ready to go now? I need to get your mother home."

"I'd rather wait until Molly gets back if you don't mind. I can get a taxi no problem."

Christian nodded and patted Peter on the shoulder. Ricky chuckled.

"I had the same idea. Bianca is going to embarrass herself if she keeps this up."

Chris saw some people getting ready to leave and hurriedly grabbed a couple of bags and began to bag up their gifts to take with them. He handed Syed a bag with his and Christian's presents in it and then another bag with Jane's.

Whitney saw what he was doing and hurriedly wiped Amy's face and put her back over with the toys and bagged up Ricky and Bianca's presents and made the kids come get theirs. Whitney left her own under the tree. She was going to wait until Molly got back. If nothing else, she and Peter could share a taxi back to the Square. He was nice that way.

When the cabs finally arrived, Chris helped Ricky get his wife and his protesting children out to the cab while Syed helped Christian with Jane.

He locked the door behind them and then looked around at the few people still left.

"Anyone want to open presents?" he asked and chuckled when he heard Amy shriek. "Pwezzies!"

JT got up and pulled Roxy to her feet and nudged her in Amy's direction while he got the little girl's presents. He put them on the floor around her and then handed Roxy hers. He hoped she liked it. He'd bought her a silver charm bracelet with a few little charms on it – a pint glass for her pub, a rattle for Amy, a cowboy boot for himself and an "R" for Roxy.

Chris picked out all of Jack and Alyssa's gifts and brought them over to Alyssa and then brought Ray and Ronnie theirs and stacked them on the chair next to Ray, then handed Whitney and Peter their gifts.

He picked up the boxes for JT and carried them over to where he was sitting. JT looked at the packages and thanked Chris. He picked up one that was slightly long and flat. It was a case of some kind. He opened the case and his grin lit up his face as he held up the fiddle. He immediately put it to his neck and began to tune it. He grabbed out the bow and rosined it up and drew it experimentally across the strings with a smile before he began to play.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Rowan grinned and nodded. She pulled her phone out and took a quick picture of the baby and sent it to Chris.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Gene heard voices and slowly opened his eyes. Molly and Rowan. Good, that meant food.

He yawned and sat up and noticed Alex was awake too.

Rowan turned and saw Gene awake and handed him the bag with the containers of food.

"Rowan, you are an angel," he said gratefully and rummaged out one of the containers. He opened it, picked out a thick slice of ham and began to eat. Rowan and Molly would keep Alex busy while he could eat he reasoned.

Rowan shook her head and moved over to Alex.

"He is adorable. Do you want Molly to stay with me tonight? JT will be going to Roxy's so she can have his room, I don't mind. I can let Whitney stay too and they can have a sleepover. I'm not opening the restaurant tomorrow so noise won't bother me," she offered.

Gene tried to catch Alex's eye and nodded. He wanted to stay at the hospital with Alex and since Molly's dad had already shown up once, he didn't want Molly home alone in case he showed up again, though he had no intention of saying that in front of Molly.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Roxy got up, walked over and seated herself on the floor next to her daughter. She pulled on JT's hand to make him sit down next to them and handed him her present with a smile, then picked up the one Amy had insisted that she get for him too and gave him that too. She looked down at Amy as the little girl tore into the gifts around her and shrieked with laughter as a new fluffy pink teddy bear fell out.

Roxy looked at the package he had given to her and carefully pulled back the wrapping paper. She smiled at the box and opened it curiously. A grin spread across her face as she picked up the bracelet and studied the charms. She turned to JT and pulled his face down to hers and kissed him. She drew away.

"Will you put it on for me?" she asked.

JT stopped playing and carefully put the instrument on the table he was closest to. Back home, he was always borrowing Louisa's, he was glad Rowan had bought him one. He smiled at Roxy and fastened the bracelet around her wrist. He was glad she liked it. He planted a swift kiss on her lips and stood. He picked the fiddle back up and after a moment's thought, began to play "Jingle Bells".

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Alyssa looked at the presents and thanked Chris. She wasn't going to touch them before Jack came back. She was sorely tempted but resolutely decided she would wait for Jack.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Alex caught Gene's nod and knew his thoughts instantly. Peter might still be around, besides, she didn't want Molly on her own on Christmas Eve and a hospital wasn't an ideal place for a teenager to sleep.

"I'd prefer that Rowan," she smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

She looked over at Molly who had gone back to the cot to watch her brother.

"Molls..."

"I heard Mum," said Molly without turning around. She looked over her shoulder and beamed at Rowan. Then looked back at Alex. She remembered Gene's text and frowned.

"You're worried about Dad," she stated simply.

Alex hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, Molls. I am," she confessed.

Molly nodded and then looked back down at Sam, then up at Alex.

"Can I hold him?"

Alex nodded and made a gesture. Molly understood and wheeled the cot right up against the bed so Alex could reach it. Alex gently lifted Sam out and Molly sat on the bed next to her mum and made herself comfortable. Alex carefully handed the baby to Molly and made sure she supported his head. Molly couldn't help but smile as she held her brother. She looked up at Alex and Gene.

"And I'm standing by what I said before," she said and was given a confused look by Alex. "I'm not changing any smelly nappies!" she said and then looked back down at her brother.

Alex smiled and stroked Molly's hair, then began to plait it slowly. She looked back up at Rowan.

"How's the party going?" she asked as she glanced up from Molly's hair for a moment.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Whitney grinned over at Peter and leaned on the table and listened to JT play. He was good. She'd never heard violin played quite like that before.

Amy clapped her hands as she recognised the song JT was playing and looked up from her presents to clap and giggle along with him.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Ronnie shook her head and applied herself to the chocolate cake. She had to admit she was starting to feel a bit worn, it had been quite a busy few hours for awhile there. She set her plate aside and began opening her presents.

Ray watched Ronnie start on her presents, the one he had for her was still at home, he wanted to give it to her tomorrow, on Christmas day. He shoved the last mouthful of cake into his mouth and picked up a present with his name on. He shrugged and pulled open the paper.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

"It's going. Jane and Bianca were pretty far gone from wine when I left. I think Ricky and Christian were getting ready to take them home. Ronnie hurt her ankle so she and Ray were late. Umm, otherwise, nothing big going on," she grinned. "All the excitement seems to be here today."

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Chris picked up his phone and smiled when he saw the message from Rowan. He carried his phone over to Alyssa and Ray and Ronnie so they could see Alex's baby.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Alex grinned back and then looked back down at Molly and Sam. She smiled as she let go of Molly's hair and let the single plait fall back down and begin to unravel. She kissed the back of Molly's head as the girl turned around and handed the baby back to Alex.

"I want a photo!" she said and got out her phone. She took a quick snap of Alex holding the baby in spite of Alex's protests about her being in the picture; she didn't want to know what she looked like.

Molly sent the picture to Whitney and Peter.

Alex sighed as Molly started texting and looked over at Rowan.

"I'm sorry we're missing it," she said with another look down at Sam, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully then she looked back up. "Would you like to hold him?" she asked.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Alyssa looked up from her piece of pie to see the picture of Alex's baby. She smiled as she peered down at the screen of Chris' phone. Cute. Ray briefly glanced at the picture, no doubt they would be seeing a lot of the kid, so looking at a photo was quite pointless.

JT grinned down at Amy and started right into. "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." He grinned and winked at Roxy.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Ronnie opened the present from Rowan, made a startled noise and hurriedly shut the box before Ray could see. She stuck the box in the bag with a secretive grin and looked over at what Ray had before opening her next gift.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Gene busied himself with the food, hardly listening to the conversation going on.

"Oh, well, I suppose I can forgive you, but next time you really should give me advance notice," Rowan teased. "No, really, it's fine. I brought your presents so you've got that at least. And food," she glanced at Gene who was steadily eating. She looked back at Alex's question.

"Okay, yes, but only for a minute. I'll need to get back soon. Jack's waiting for us, he didn't want to come in, nothing personal, just too many people and it's raining."

She carefully reached down and let Alex hand her the baby. She suddenly realized what it was she'd felt about Ronnie and smiled. She would say nothing.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Chris went around and gathered up the dessert plates.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Roxy smiled back at him and picked Amy up so she was on her lap as she sang along to her favorite Christmas carol, Roxy swaying her and singing along too. She smiled up at JT, he was so good with Amy and she herself liked having him around too, she wondered how the rest of the family would feel about him, he hadn't met Phil yet, that would be fun! She knew that Aunty Peggy seemed to like him, but then, JT was a very likeable person.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Ray withdrew the picture that Rowan had given him. He smiled as he traced the frame and looked at the picture. Of course, she had been with him when Ronnie had been taken and knew about the lack of pictures he had of her. This was perfect. She had given him one of the pictures from America, one where somebody had snapped him and Ronnie together; she had flowers in her hair so it must have been after the children had caught her. He smiled at Ronnie and showed her.

"Now show me what she gave you," he told her as he looked curiously in the direction that she had hidden her gift.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Alex nodded, she had assumed that Rowan and Molly had got a taxi down, but obviously Jack had a car so that was a cheaper and better option. She smiled as she watched Rowan with Sam and sank back into her pillows with a soft sigh. She looked over at Gene and frowned. Food? She reached out a hand and picked up the spare box. She smiled at the contents and then grinned up at Rowan

"Thank you soo much! You have no idea how hungry I am!" she stated as she plucked out the slice of cake and started on that. Her sweet tooth had kicked in now and she needed to satisfy it before moving onto savoury food.

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

JT took a break; his arm was a bit sore. He'd not played like that in a long while. He put the instrument back in its case, picked up his beer and sat back down next to Roxy.

"Guess we need to head out pretty soon?" he said quietly. "I've already got my bag ready."

/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\

Ronnie looked up from the present she was unwrapping and looked at the photo.

"Oh, Ray, that's lovely," she said as she traced the frame with her fingers. She looked up at his question and smiled mischievously before shaking her head.

"No," she replied. "If you're very, very good, though, I may show it to you later. But there's something that goes with it, and it's sort of a surprise."

She scooped up some of the chocolate hazelnut cream that was left on the plate and licked it from her finger provocatively, keeping her eyes fixed on his as she did so. She wished she hadn't injured her ankle, though the news she'd gotten because of it was nice, silver lining there. However, her injury meant she couldn't do what she'd planned.


	3. Chapter 3

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 3  
**

Gene finally finished eating and looked gratefully at Rowan.

"Thank you, I wasn't sure how much longer I could wait," he said to her with a grin. Rowan pointed at the canvas bag with their gifts in it. "Why don't you open your present?"

Gene looked at her, his eyebrows went up and then his eyes narrowed. He sniffed and picked up the package and opened it. He looked at the small wooden case and looked at Rowan. She smiled and nodded. He opened it and his eyebrows went up again when he saw the set of darts inside.

"I thought you could use them," she said.

"Rowan, these look expensive," he said and showed Alex.

"It's fine, they weren't too bad. Here, you need to take him because I think the nurses are going to kick us out pretty soon, and I have to go anyway."

Gene took the baby from her and tried to avoid her quick hug. She chuckled and turned to Alex and gave her a hug.

"Hope you get to go home, soon," she said and smiled. "Let me know okay?"

Rowan walked over towards the door and waited for Molly to say her goodbyes so they could leave.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

The rain had stopped by the time they got outside. Rowan spotted Jack easily since he was standing next to the car and smoking.

"I hope it all went well," he said. Rowan nodded.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Roxy nodded.

"It's nearing Amy's bedtime, luckily, if she falls asleep on the way home then that dress is easy to get her out of without disturbing her," she said back.

Roxy looked at the instrument in his hand and smiled up at him.

"I didn't know you could play like that."

"Yeah, Momma thought I should learn. She thought it might keep me out of trouble, it didn't, but I learned it anyway. Junior's wife, Louisa, her Momma teaches it, she teaches piano, too. That's how my brother finally decided he wanted to walk out with Louisa, Momma made him take piano lessons. He liked Rowan before that, but he tried to get her one day when she was minding me, she nearly broke his arm. He was very polite to girls after that," JT chuckled.

He got up and put Amy's things in a bag and helped Chris with any other dishes.

"Roxy and I are taking off now. I'll thank Rowan for the gift when I get back tomorrow."

Chris nodded. "See you, then."

JT walked back out and picked up Amy's bag and his own bag. "Ready."

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Ray narrowed his eyes at her. Most of the time he hated surprises, but past experience had shown him that Ronnie's surprises were worth waiting for. He watched her lick her fingers free of any cream she had got on them and willed himself to stay impassive. The slightest thing she did seemed to provoke him.

He turned his head back to his pile of gifts and picked up another one in an attempt to distract himself.

Ronnie grinned as Ray quickly turned back to his gifts. She saw the box from Chris that she was sure had the boots, but she wasn't worried. She couldn't wait to show him the bike. She wondered idly what he had got her. He'd been very secretive. She thought of what Rowan had got her and smiled. She hoped Ray wouldn't take advantage of her being on crutches to sneak a peak in the box. Though, the way it was folded he wouldn't be able to tell what it was. But when Rowan had finished giving Ronnie the dancing lessons, she'd insisted Ronnie have an outfit.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly peered into the box curiously and smiled at the darts. She grinned up at Gene and kissed his cheek, then Sam's. While Rowan was hugging Alex, Molly carefully minded Sam as she hugged Gene from the side. She went to Alex the second Rowan had let go and gave her mum a gentle hug.

"I've got all of my presents for you both at home! I got some things for the baby too," she grinned as Alex kissed her forehead.

"Have fun. And behave for Rowan."

Molly rolled her eyes. "I always behave for Rowan," she answered and kissed her mum's nose happily before waving goodbye as she followed Rowan out.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Jack drove them back to the party. Rowan let them in and hurried them past so she could lock the door.

Jack shrugged off his coat and went to give Alyssa a quick kiss. He chuckled as she pulled away from his cold lips. He rubbed his hands on his face.

"If you get me a cup of coffee I'll be your best friend," he said to Alyssa, widening his eyes in an attempt to look pathetic.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Whitney ran over to Molly and handed her a cup of tea.

"When you're warm enough, open mine," she said excitedly.

Peter moved to sit next to her and put his gift on the table before putting an arm around her shoulders.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

JT saw Rowan come in and dropped the bags and ran over and grabbed Rowan up and swung her around. Rowan was not amused.

"John Tymon Hastings put me down!" she demanded, her accent thick from her annoyance.

JT snorted a laugh and hurriedly complied.

"You're welcome of course, but don't do that again."

He planted a kiss on her cheek. "Won't do it again, Annieweena," he whispered and jumped back before she could hit him.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

He went and picked up the bags from where he'd dropped them.

"I'm ready now, promise," he said and started walking towards the door.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Ronnie caught Rowan's arm as she walked by.

"Thanks," she whispered. Rowan winked and nodded and walked around, tidying up here and there.

Roxy picked Amy up. The girl was sleepy. She could tell. Amy was getting grumpy. She walked with JT to the door and waved her goodbyes to everyone, calling over to Ronnie that she would see her at the Vic tomorrow.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa smiled at him and shook her head in amusement. She raised her hands to cover his and gasped. He was freezing. She smiled and let him go.

"I already have a best friend," she told him with a grin and kissed his nose. "But I'll get you a coffee anyway. Because you look so hopeless," she said as she made her way to the coffee machine.

She came back cradling a steaming cup of coffee and handed it to him as she seated herself next to him. She smiled at the state of him. He should go out in the rain more often, because he was up and dressed earlier than her she rarely got to see him with wet hair. She loved it.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly warmed her hands on the mug before taking a massive gulp. Much better. She was so cold that she could feel the hot liquid inside her as it heated her up.

She put the mug down and reached for Whitney's present. She smiled at her best friend and peeled back the wrapping paper carefully. Her eyes widened and she hugged Whitney before picking up the bracelet. She read the engraving and laughed out loud as she slipped the bracelet on.

"Thanks Whit. Did you open mine?" she asked as she looked around. She spotted her presents for Whitney and Peter where she had left them and went to get them she handed them to each of them with a smile as she picked up the present from Peter.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Roxy rolled her eyes and made sure Amy was all wrapped up warm before following him outside and unlocking her car. She quickly strapped Amy into the back in her car seat and shut the boot one JT and put everything into it. She climbed in the front and got the engine running and switched the heating on to warm up her car before they set off.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Whitney showed Molly that she had a matching bracelet. She eagerly took the present Molly handed her and opened it.

"OH! Molly, this is brilliant!" Whitney exclaimed, "thank you."

Peter opened his presents and kissed Molly's cheek.

"Thanks, Molly, this is fantastic. I should call a cab soon, it's getting late."

Jack looked over at Peter. "You can go along with us if you don't mind. There's plenty of room in my car for one more person in the back. I have to go that way anyway."

Peter smiled. "Thanks, Mr. Rimmer."

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Jack looked back at Alyssa as she returned and ran his hands through his hair before he took the cup from Alyssa. He took a drink and warmed his hands with the cup. He watched all the presents being opened and smiled to himself.

He stood up and wandered into the kitchen. He asked Rowan if she needed any help putting away the dishes. She looked at him oddly and shook her head. Jack tapped the cup in his hand and peeked around the doorway. Alyssa was still sitting there. He waited a few more minutes and then refilled the coffee and stood in the doorway to the kitchen.

He waited until Alyssa looked over at him and smiled at her when she did.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan came out of the kitchen and told Whitney that Molly was staying over and she was welcome to stay as well. Whitney smiled and nodded her thanks. It would be great to sleep someplace without the kids running around and screaming. Maybe if all this business plan stuff worked, she'd get herself her own flat. Now, there was an idea.

Rowan went upstairs and took the sheets she'd stripped off JT's bed earlier into the laundry basket. When she'd changed the bed she'd simply tossed them on the floor. She went into her room and pulled out a few oversized t-shirts that Molly and Whitney could sleep in. She put the shirts in JT's room, Molly and Whitney could pick what they liked.

She went back downstairs and saw Jack lurking in the kitchen doorway still. What was he up to, she wondered.

Molly grinned at Whitney as she fastened the bracelet around her wrist.

"You're welcome. I figured you could use something to keep all your designs in when you come up with new ones. I'm glad you like it!" she beamed

Molly grinned at him and kissed him properly.

"I love the necklace," she told him with a smile.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa smiled back, a little confused. Why was he standing over there, hanging around the kitchen? She shrugged and left him to it as she watched everyone else open their presents. She sighed as she looked back over again. She frowned and stood up. She wouldn't let herself open any presents unless he was there, too. She wandered over and looked at him as she stopped in front of him.

"Are you going to open your presents with me or just lurk around kitchen doorways like a goblin?" she asked with an amused smile.

"I was thinking of lurking like a goblin. However, I have a very special present I need to give you," he told her softly. He kissed her cheek and grinned at her then dropped to one knee, pulled the box out of his pocket, opened it and held it up to her.

"I thought, what can I possibly give you that you don't already have? You have me, and you have my heart, I'd like for you to have them for life," he told her. "Just promise me you'll wait to open me when you get home," he added with a devilish grin.

Rowan smiled and swiped at a tear. Jack was a sweetheart. Chris slid his arm around Rowan and squeezed her shoulders. "Think she'll say yes?" he whispered. Rowan rolled her eyes and started clapping.

"Oh, that is so sweet," Ronnie breathed. She smiled at Ray and wrapped his hand tight with hers.

Alyssa's eyes widened as he dropped to one knee and held up the ring to her. She felt her jaw drop as she stared down at him. Rowan's clapping brought her back to earth. She blinked a few times and felt a delighted grin break her face as she knelt down opposite him and took the ring from the box. She slipped it onto her finger and brought her eyes back up to meet his.

"Suddenly my present for you seems a bit pathetic" she smiled at him.

"Never," he scoffed at her comment. He gazed at her when she finished kissing him.

"I love you," he said and grabbed her into a hug. He turned and looked at everyone staring at him.

She reached up and stroked her hand down his face until she cupped his cheek and brought his face to hers, she smiled as she moved in and kissed him soundly. She pulled back and looked back at him. "In case you didn't guess, that was a yes," she grinned, "and I promise," she chuckled.

"Okay, show's over," he grinned and grabbed the wall so he could stand back up. He held his hand out to Alyssa and helped her up.

Rowan came over and hugged them both.

"That was very sweet, Jack. I wondered if you were ever going to get around to it. You've been messing with that ring all night," she teased and then hugged Alyssa. "I'm so happy for you."

Chris came over and shook Jack's hand and gave Alyssa a quick squeeze.

"Well, not that I want to spoil anything, but it is getting late and I have people to drive. We'll open the presents when we get home okay?" he asked her softly. "Especially mine," he gave her a wicked grin again and then went to put their gifts in a bag.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Ray rolled his eyes at her and let go of her hand to sweep his arm around her shoulders to hold her to him as he watched Alyssa kneel down to kiss Jack.

Ronnie turned and gathered up hers and Ray's gifts and handed them to Ray to carry while she grabbed her crutches and got up. She went and got their coats and brought them back over, handing him his and leaning her crutches on the wall so she could put hers on.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Peter gave Whitney a one-armed hug around her shoulders before kissing Molly.

"I'm glad you like the necklace. I'll text you tomorrow."

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan helped her friends gather up their things and carry them out to Jack's car. She propped open the door with a small wooden wedge so it was easier to get through.

She hugged Ronnie and then Ray.

"Thank you both for coming," she said.

Rowan walked over to Jack and handed him the mistletoe he'd stood under to propose to Alyssa. "Thought you might like a little souvenir," she said.

"Thanks, Ro," he said and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She patted his cheek and followed him and Alyssa out.

Jack dropped Peter off at home and then Ray and Ronnie before heading home. He sat in the car a moment and smiled at Alyssa.

"I was really nervous," he chuckled before he got out of the car. He grabbed the gifts out of the boot and led her inside.

Alyssa shut the front door behind her and shrugged off her coat, she hung it on the banister and slipped off her shoes with a small frown.

"I can't imagine why. I haven't got a reason to say no, have I," she said as she made her way towards him and wrapped her arms around his middle as she looked up at him.

He bent his head and kissed her upturned nose.

"You might have decided I'm too much work," he chuckled. He pretended to toss his hair. "I'm awfully high maintenance you know."

Alyssa smiled up and tilted her head as she considered him, and thought about her decision. She shook her head at herself and grinned at him.

"It's a good thing that I like a challenge then" she told him smiling, wishing silently that she had left her heels on so she was at a more even height with him.

"Oh, good then, at least I won't ever be boring," he smiled down at her and then scooped her up in his arms. "Now, I want my present and then you can unwrap yours."

Alyssa wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly.

"I want, doesn't get," she quoted with a grin. Then pulled back and studied his face for a moment

"It's under the bed."

Jack grinned and hurried up the stairs with her in his arms as fast as he could. He dropped her unceremoniously on the bed and then fell to the floor to crawl under the bed and get it.

He pulled it out and put it on the bed.

"Any hints?"

Alyssa moved herself so she was seated crossed legged on the bed with a good view of him. She played with the ring on her finger and shook her head

"No. Just open it!" she said with a small chuckle.

Jack grinned and tore open the box.

Alyssa picked the wrapping paper off the floor as he threw it randomly and it landed near to her. She grabbed the last bit from the floor by bending down to retrieve it. Then screwed it all into a ball and looked back at him as she sat up and tossed the ball of paper from hand to hand.

Jack opened the box and grinned with delight.

"I can teach to play proper now!" he exclaimed and leapt onto the bed. He wrapped her in his arms and rolled her across the bed.

"Do you have any idea how crazy I am about you?" he asked and kissed her.

Alyssa smiled and draped her arms over his shoulders. She let her head fall back into the pillows as he broke the kiss.

"I think I have an inkling" she smiled "But if you're half as crazy about me as I am about you then you're practically insane."

"Does it count that I was already insane before I met you?" he gave her a toothy, cheesy smile. He kissed her noisily and then rolled off her and got up to grab another present. He picked up the box from Rowan with a grunt and put it on the bed.

"Bloody hell, what's in there? Weighs a ton!" he complained and hurriedly opened it.

"She is taking the piss, right?" he said as he gazed into the box. He shook his head and reached into the box with a sigh and pulled out a neon green bowling bowl with a big smiley face on it. He looked at Alyssa.

"Was this your idea?" he asked, his eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Alyssa sat up and watched as he pulled the bowling ball out and she reached out and took it from him with a small giggle. She tested the weight and tried the finger holes. She looked up at him and shook her head.

"I wouldn't have chosen this colour," she told him as she gave it back to him.

"It's good though. Now we can go bowling so you can try it out and I can teach you some more, not that there's much to teach, and then we can go home and you can teach me darts some more," she said as she looked at the ball again and laughed once more. It was the smiley face. It cracked her up.

She looked at the bag of presents and bent over the bed to pull her gift from Rowan out.

"I wonder what she's given me," she mused out loud as she pulled at the wrapping paper.

Her eyes widened at the quilt as she pulled it out and smiled as she studied the pattern on it.

"Wow," she breathed.

Jack looked over and his eyes widened. That had taken some work he was sure.

He put the bowling ball back in the box and moved his things away from the bed and got undressed.

He tied a bow around himself and then turned to face her. He stood with fists on hips and a cheesy grin on his face.

"Want to open your present now?" he chuckled.

Alyssa carefully folded the quilt back up and placed it on the floor next to her side of the bed. She looked up as he spoke and was about to give him an inquisitive look, then saw what he was wearing and what he meant. She grinned up at him and took his hand. Alyssa pulled him down so that he was lying on his back on the bed and swung her leg over him so that she was straddling him with a smile.

"Yes, please," she purred and dipped her head down to kiss him. She chuckled as she broke the kiss and looked down at the bow he had tied around himself.

She traced a finger over it and sighed.

"I almost don't want to spoil your fabulous wrapping," she said as she took hold of one of the loose ends and tugged so the bow came undone. She smiled as she slipped it off him and tied it loosely around her wrist.

Alyssa looked down at him and grinned as she tucked her hair behind her ear before leaning down and kissing him thoroughly.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Ronnie looked at the stairs and grimaced. She handed one of her crutches to Ray and using the other one and the rail she made her way up the stairs. She opened the door and hobbled inside, waiting for Ray to come in. She shut it behind him and sighed.

"What a day!" she said.

Ray dropped the bag of gifts on the armchair and pulled her onto the sofa and onto his lap. He took the crutches from her and dropped them on the floor at his feet as he hugged her and looked up at her, she was pregnant. He was a bit excited about it, too. There was a little person growing in her tummy. He raised his eyebrows and looked up at her with a grin before kissing her.

Ronnie smiled, slightly confused at the look on Ray's face but slid her arms around him and kissed him back. She shifted, lifting herself off his lap and moving her body so she was facing him, a knee on either side of his legs. She settled down again onto his lap and pressed herself to him. She grabbed the bottom of the jumper he was wearing and pulled it off over his head. She took his hand and put it behind her neck, closing his fingers over the zipper of her dress.

"Pull tab A," she whispered and pressed her lips to his as she trailed her hands over his shoulders and down his bare chest.

Ray obliged and immediately tugged the zip down to the bottom and slid his hands inside the dress and over her smooth skin. He pressed her even closer to him and his other hand went around to find her foot that still had a shoe on and attempted to pull the zip down on her boot. He smiled into the kiss as he managed it and slid the shoe off her foot.

Ronnie raised herself slightly and pulled the dress off over her head. She slipped off her bra, realizing she was going to need to get some new ones soon. She was already getting bigger.

"I love you," she breathed in his ear then moved her hands to his trousers.

Ray moved his mouth to her neck and planted small lingering kisses along it.

"Love you an all," he muttered as he realised what she was doing. In a swift movement, and being forever conscious of her bandaged foot, he switched their positions so she was lying on her back with him over the top of her. He smiled and wriggled out of his trousers before moving his mouth down from her neck to shower attention over her breasts.

Ronnie's breath came faster and she mewled slightly as his hands blazed fire across her skin. She twined her hands into his hair and moaned his name.

Ray slipped an arm under her back and pressed her to him again as he kissed her mouth greedily to quell the sounds she was making.

Ronnie kissed him back, her hands roaming his back and sides.

She broke off the kiss and gazed at him.

"I want you," she whispered, her voice thick with lust. She buried her face in his neck and began to slowly kiss his neck.

Ray let out a low groan and ran his hands down her body until he came to the elastic waistline of her knickers. He grunted and pulled them off her. He smiled down at her and kissed her again.

He lifted her good leg and placed it over his waist and held it there as he thrust into her and buried his face in her hair.

Ronnie threw her head back and gave a small cry as he entered her.

She flung her arms around him and held him tight.

Ray moaned and nuzzled at her neck as he rocked his hips gently against hers. Her name escaped him as he moved his face to hers and kissed her once more.

Ronnie bucked against him, moaning into the kiss.

She broke off the kiss and put her mouth to his ear.

"Oh, yes, Ray, now, yes," she whispered frantically, and she did her best to stifle her scream as the pleasure overwhelmed her.

Ray came with her, moaning her name as he fell. He shifted their position so he was lying on his back on the sofa with her lying on top of him as he stroked her hair and twirled a lock around his finger as he closed his eyes.

Ronnie sighed and laid her head on his chest. She slid her arms around him before turning her head and propping her chin on his chest.

"We should go to bed. I don't think we'll be comfortable sleeping out here," she said softly, unable to keep the sleepiness from her voice.

Ray grinned. He held her back as he sat up and shifted her into a sitting position on his lap. Then in one swift movement he swung her up into his arms. He carried her to the bedroom and placed her carefully on the bed, he climbed over her and pulled the covers back so he could slip into the bed.

Ray made sure the both of them were tucked in and then drew her close to him and planted a kiss on her forehead. He smiled happily.

"Night, Ron."

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan led Molly and Whitney upstairs and showed them JT's room.

"I gave you some oversized shirts you can sleep in. The bathroom is right there and if you need anything else just let me know," she said and went back downstairs to help Chris finish the last bit of cleanup.

She went into their bedroom when they got back upstairs and changed into a long shirt and leggings and sighed with comfort. She dropped on the couch and looked at the clock. Chris put the gifts on the kitchen table and then sat down next to her.

"It was a good party," he said.

"Yeah, I think it went okay," she looked up at him and smiled.

"Tomorrow, we got to Jack and Alyssa's and we will have to eat Jack's cooking."

"Oh, c'mon Rowan, surely it's not that bad," Chris shot back.

"We'll know tomorrow, won't we?"

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Whitney got out her laptop and showed Molly how her courses were going.

"If I have enough money saved, I may see about some more. I was also thinking, maybe if this thing all works out, moving out of the house and getting a flat of my own. What d'you reckon?"

Molly thanked Rowan and settled herself crossed legged on the floor next to the bed. She looked at Whitney's laptop with interest and smiled.

"A flat? Around here though right?" she bit her lip. "Wow. I think it's a brilliant idea."

"Around here if I can find one. I don't need anything big, not for just me. I don't have much stuff either," she shrugged. "Not sure what kind of luck I will have. But with the kids around it's hard doing the work. I do the work while I'm at the stall too, but sometimes it's hard to concentrate and I don't like leaving my laptop where it might get nicked," Whitney commented.

She sighed and dropped her chin in her hand.

Molly looked at Whitney and smiled.

"If you need somewhere quiet and away from home you can always come round my house. Normally it's quiet but I can't vouch for that now mum's had Sam. But you can lock yourself in my room," she shrugged.

"Thanks, it won't be easy though, bit of a walk," Whitney chuckled. "I'll see how it goes. I can't afford to do anything about it right now."

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Peter pulled his coat further around his shoulders. It seemed this rain had no intention of easing off any time soon. He was freezing. He scowled darkly, Alex had gone into labor and her new bloke had nearly smashed his face in. That bloke of hers had been the one that had helped her take Molly away from him. He knew she was shagging him. Idiot had married her. He snorted and shoved his hand into his pocket in annoyance. It brushed a box. Molly's present. He had nearly forgotten. He smiled, she would no doubt be at that party thing she had wanted him to go to. He turned on his heel and made his way over to where Molly had said she would be. He scowled, the place was dark inside. He doubted Molly would have been allowed to go home though, Alex would be way too paranoid and he reckoned her new bloke was too concerned with his ex-wife and his own kid to be worried about Molly. He smirked and rang the bell to the flat above the restaurant, there were lights on in the upstairs window.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

"I'm going to bed," Chris sighed.

Rowan nodded and then she groaned as she heard the buzzer. She grabbed her thick robe and pulled it on and tied it tight as she bounded down the stairs. Her brow furrowed as she looked at the person on the other side of the door. He didn't look familiar.

She pushed open the mail slot.

"Can I help you?"

Peter heard a click and then a voice. He frowned as he tried to work out where it had come from. He realised it was the post flap and bent to a crouch to see the person talking to him. He smiled friendlily at her.

"Hiya. I'm looking for Molly Drake. I'm her Dad. I'm not going to see her tomorrow and have her Christmas present. She's not at home and said she was going to be here. I just wondered whether you know where she went?" he asked politely.

Rowan sighed. "Okay, hold on," she told him and let the mail slot shut. She picked up the phone next to the register and pressed the button that would call straight to the flat.

"Yeah?" Chris picked up.

"Can you tell Molly her father is here? He has her Christmas present. Should I let him come up?"

"I'll go find out."

He put the phone down and knocked on the door to JT's room. He heard one of them say come in and opened the door.

"Molly, Rowan says your father is at the door with your Christmas present. She wants to know if you want her to let him come up."

Molly nodded and shrugged then looked up at Chris. Her face mirrored her surprise and she scrambled to her feet. She didn't think it was such a good idea to let her Dad into the flat. Besides, Molly had a few things to say to him.

"I'll come down," she said.

Chris shrugged and nodded.

He watched Molly walk toward the stairs and told Rowan Molly was on the way down.

She made her way down and into the restaurant and saw Rowan by the door. She did as he had taught her and looked outside to check it was him. She smiled. No mistaking that coat. It was her Dad.

"That's my Dad," she smiled at Rowan "Can we let him in? I need to talk to him"

"If you want me to, then, yes," Rowan said and motioned her to step back. "The wind is going to be cold, stand back there," Rowan said and then pulled the keys from her pocket and opened the door. Whitney pulled on a pair of leggings Rowan had let her try and bounded downstairs to see her friend's father.

Molly did as she was told and took a step away from the door. She watched her Dad come inside and pull down his hood. The rain had eased off a bit, but he was still dripping onto the floor. He shrugged out of his soaking coat and nodded at the 2 people he didn't know before looking at Molly and opening his arms.

Molly rolled her eyes but went to him anyway and hugged him tightly as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. Suddenly she pulled away.

"So, are you going to tell me what you did to mum to make her go into early labor?" she demanded

Peter's face hardened "Molly. I didn't come here to talk about your mother!"

Molly frowned "I still want to know. Gene and I have been trying to keep her calm and relaxed and you _know_ how difficult that is! She always has to be doing something. So. What did you do!" she repeated, narrowing her eyes.

Peter folded his arms and glared down at her. "We had an argument. Nothing unusual."

Molly raised an eyebrow, her parents' 'arguments' usually involved a small amount of physical contact. Her expression hardened. "So Gene is right. It is all your fault!"

Peter's expression changed to a sneer.

"Gene! That big-headed Neanderthal doesn't know anything! He's a brute and I don't have any idea what your mum sees in him," he spat.

Molly took a step backwards and glared at him. She hated it when he got like this. He was uncontrollable. She swallowed.

"Merry Christmas, Dad," she said as calmly and nicely as she could.

Whitney stopped short and looked at Rowan, her eyes wide.

Rowan stepped forward calmly.

"I really think you should calm down, there's no need to speak to Molly that way. She's done nothing wrong. Neither has Alex for that matter. They're both trying to include you still in Molly's life, why don't you just get over this childish behavior and enjoy the time you have to spend with her, while she still wants to spend it with you. There's never enough of it, believe me. All this petty anger is not helping anything, it's just causing pain, can't you see that? Now, you wanted to give Molly her gift, I suggest you do so and then leave. I'm sure if you call Molly or Alex tomorrow they'll be more than happy for you to spend some time with them on Christmas day. But for now, it's late. So, please," Rowan said, keeping her voice low, calm and even.

Peter rounded on Rowan, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Who the hell are you to tell me what I should and shouldn't do!" he snarled at her. "I'll see my daughter when I damn well like and talk to her how I like too. And it's none of your business."

Molly scowled at him.

"Leave Rowan alone Dad!"

Peter looked back at his daughter and sniffed.

"We're going home. Now," he told her and grabbed up his coat and took hold of Molly's wrist.

Molly wrenched her arm out of his grasp.

"No. I'm staying here and spending Christmas with mum."

Peter scowled. Alex always won. Well, she wouldn't this time.

"Molly Catherine Drake you get yourself outside now."

Molly resolutely shook her head and stepped away from him.

"No, Dad."

Rowan stepped in front of Molly and faced Peter. Her body was still, her face calm, almost serene. Her head tilted very slightly as she studied him.

"Whitney, go and fetch Chris please," Rowan asked, her tone almost pleasant, but her accent very thick. Anyone who knew her well would know she was upset, but this man didn't know her.

Whitney nodded nervously and bolted up the stairs.

"Mr. Drake, I would recommend you guard your tone, and that you not attempt to touch this child in violence again," she drawled, her tone calm and again, almost pleasant. "It will not go well for you otherwise."

She took a very small step forward. "It's such a shame, that you can't let go of whatever this hatred is that you have and just enjoy being with your child. My parents died when I was 17, I'll never get to see them again. Molly has tried to keep you in her life, Alex hasn't stopped you from seeing her. So, I am just baffled. Because your only concern seems to be that she is your possession. That's not how it works. You should be trying to find a way to fit into her life instead of taking her away from it. That's not fair to anyone, especially not her. Whatever you think Alex may or may not have done to you, it's all in the past, let it stay there. Close the door on it and start again fresh while you have the chance."

Rowan caught sight of Chris coming down the stairs in the reflection of the window.

"Now, if you can be nice and polite, I will get out some of the cake I baked and make us all some tea and you can spend an hour here, visiting. You can give Molly her present and then you can go because as I stated before, it is getting late and I've had a long day and I'm powerful tired. If you are not willing to mind your manners however, my husband, DS Skelton, can escort you from the premises."

Chris stepped over towards them, staying behind Rowan. He knew what she could do if provoked and he didn't want to be in her line of fire, she might hurt herself.

Rowan kept her gaze fixed on Peter, watching.

"Trust me, Mr. Drake, you don't want to try me," she warned, still keeping her tone pleasant and conversational. She could guess the direction of this thoughts. "That would be a powerful mistake in judgement on your part. Cake or time to go?"

Molly listened to Rowan and strained to make out what she was saying. She wasn't used to hearing her accent that thick and had to concentrate on listening to exactly what she was saying. She kept her gaze fixed on her Dad and saw him trying to understand what Rowan was saying. He had clearly got the gist of it though. She took a deep breath as Rowan finished.

"Actually," she said causing Peter to face her. She looked at him and frowned. She really wasn't in the mood for this. "I'd like you to go Dad. I'm too tired to do this now. Please."

Peter looked at her and then back to the people around her. She was asking him to leave. Since when? He eyed the man curiously. DS, the little American had said. That meant he would have the police here within minutes. Peter wasn't stupid. He wasn't going to risk that. Mind you, she could be bluffing. Peter sighed, the bloke had been one of the ones that had brought that accursed paperwork to Alex when she had come to fetch Molly. He was on Gene's team. And that encounter in the hospital was fresh in Peter's mind. No way.

He nodded with a scowl and pulled the box out of his pocket and shoved it roughly into Molly's hands. He rounded to the door and marched out into the rain.

Molly watched until he had vanished from sight then looked up at Rowan and Chris.

"Sorry about him. He gets like that when he's in a bad mood. I shouldn't have provoked him like that," she sighed and placed the box in her cardigan pocket.

Rowan sighed as Molly's father stormed from the restaurant. She walked over and locked the door before going back to Molly and giving her a hug.

"No need to apologize. It wasn't really your fault. There is clearly something eating at him. It's a shame he won't just let it go and really try to spend time with you," Rowan comforted. She let Molly go and smiled.

"C'mon, let's all go get some sleep now the drama is all over."

Chris nodded and headed up. Whitney gave Molly a small smile and took her friend's hand and squeezed it before heading up.

Rowan flipped off the lights and waited for Molly to head up before following her. She locked the flat door behind her and then went into the bedroom. Chris followed her in, shutting the door behind him.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Peggy woke up early and hummed happily to herself as she went into the kitchen to get dinner started. Once she had the turkey in the oven, she went and took a quick shower and got her face and hair fixed before going back into the kitchen to get started on the rest. She was looking forward to having the family together for the meal, with a couple of extras she reminded herself. Roxy and Ronnie's men were going to be there as well. She began to cheerfully hum again; glad the girls were so happy. She just wished Phil was doing better. He was spiralling more and more out of control lately and it was beginning to scare her. She hoped he would behave, today of all days.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

JT opened his eyes, woken up by the cheerful humming coming from somewhere. He looked at Roxy and then over at Amy, they were both still asleep. It must be Peggy he reasoned. He slipped from the bed and went to get a quick shower. He quietly got dressed and went in to the kitchen to see if Peggy needed any help. She jumped slightly when he came in the room, but smiled.

"Morning, Mrs. Mitchell," he greeted her. "Can I help with anything? I'm a pretty good cook you know," he offered.

"Call me Peggy, please, and yes, you can peel those potatoes for me if you don't mind," she replied gratefully.

"Don't mind t'all," he said agreeably and got to work.

JT heard Amy begin to stir and went and got her before she woke Roxy. He took her into the kitchen and got her some breakfast before helping Peggy again. He watched to make sure the little girl didn't make too big a mess.

JT cleaned up Amy after she finished eating and then gave her a coloring book and crayons and scooted her closer to the table so she could play while he continued to help Peggy with the food. He was glad he was able to give Roxy a chance to sleep in. She never got one usually.

He sang a bit to Peggy as they worked to get her to smile.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Ronnie woke up early and grinned as she slid her hand over her belly. Pregnant. She glanced at Ray and sighed with contentment. She couldn't wait until he woke up so she could show him his present, though in hindsight now, it didn't seem so smart. She would be able to ride for only a month or two tops then it would be a long while before they could go on road trips on the bikes. She thought about it a moment and decided she didn't mind so much.

Ray stirred as he tried to wake up. It was a battle. He felt exhausted. He reached out blindly for Ronnie, then huffed when he couldn't find her in front of him. He must have rolled over at some point in the night. He rolled over to face the other way and was instantly greeted by her warmth. He hummed appreciatively and slid his arm over her casually as he moved closer.

His hand brushed hers that was resting on her tummy. His expression softened as he suddenly remembered what they had been told last night. She was going to have his kid. It was an odd experience, the thought of their child inside her. But good too, he couldn't think of anyone he would rather share a child with. And Ronnie was good with kids too. Made up for his lack of parental skill. He sighed and stroked her tummy as he kissed her cheek

"Merry Christmas," he mumbled, he was unsure whether she was awake or not as he refused to open his eyes.

"Merry Christmas," Ronnie replied with a smile. She shivered at the feel of his hand stroking her belly and kissed him. She shifted closer to him.

'So, when do you want to open your present," she asked, barely able to contain her excitement.

Ray finally opened his eyes to look at her. He studied her face for a moment the shut them again as he secured his arms around her and her to him.

"That would depend on what it is. Because at the moment I don't really feel like moving. I'm far too comfortable. So tell me what it is and I shall decide whether or not I open it now or leave it until later," he told her sleepily but his voice held an underlying tone of amusement as he spoke.

"Hmmm, okay. I really don't want to tell you outright what it is. I suppose I could give you a hint," she offered as she propped her head on her hand. "Or, you could just let me open mine," she smiled and leaned close. "Yours is outside."

Ray sighed and grinned as he looked up at her.

"Outside? What the hell have you got me?" he questioned curiously. He rolled onto his side and reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out her gifts.

"You'd best open yours, then" he said as he handed it to her and fell back into his pillows with a soft sigh.

"Merry Christmas."

Ronnie took her gifts from him with undisguised greed. She tore into one box and her jaw gaped at all the chocolate. She looked at him.

"I hope you intend to help me eat some of this, or my god I'll be big as a house!" she exclaimed. She opened another and looked at him with a wicked smile.

"So, this could be fun," she purred. "I'm not sure which I'll enjoy more, licking it off you, or you licking it off me."

She leaned over and kissed him. "And you call me kinky, you devil," she said, her tone laced with approval.

She sat back up and started on the last box.

"So, after I open this would you like to see what I go….."

The words died in her throat as she saw what was in the box. Her hand flew to her mouth and she blinked rapidly but the tears spilled over.

"Oh, Ray," she whispered, her voice high and reedy. "It's beautiful, I…." words failed her. She reached out and trailed her fingers gently over the Tiffany key. She put the box down and grabbed up the sheet to wipe her face and sniffed before picking the box up again.

Ray watched her with interest as she opened her gifts. He smiled at her reaction to the necklace he got her. He'd seen it when he had been looking for ideas for her Christmas present and knew it was perfect. That and indulging her love of chocolate had seemed like the excellent choice.

Ray reached over and kissed her cheek gently. He slid the box out of her grasp and carefully took the necklace out. He undid the clasp and reached around her neck to put the necklace on her. He cupped her cheek and kissed her once the key was securely in place.

The key symbolised whatever power she held over him. Somehow she had managed to unlock what he hid from other people. His emotions. What he truly felt. She had that ability. He smiled.

"I'm glad you like it," he said softly.

She sniffed again and reached down to touch the necklace again before looking back up at him.

"Words can't describe," she told him, her voice still slightly choked. She leaned over and threw her arms around him and held him tightly. She finally asserted some control over herself and pulled back.

"Do you want to go see your present now?" she asked before turning her back on him, grabbing a tissue out of the box and blowing her nose. She looked back at him and smiled. She grabbed her crutches and pulled herself off the bed and pulled some warm pajamas out of the drawer then pulled her dressing gown on over them before going into the bathroom and running a brush through her hair.

"Please? It's not as fantastic as this," she admitted and stroked the key again, "but I think you'll like it."

Ray nodded and slid himself out of bed. He shivered once he was out of the warmth of the bed and grabbed a pair of pyjama bottoms. He pushed his legs through and pulled them up. Then grabbed a jumper and his dressing gown. He nodded at her and gestured to the door.

"Take me to my Christmas present," he said as he pushed the door open for her.

Ronnie grinned and swung herself out of the room. She made sure her slippers were on and then made her way down the stairs. She opened the door, used her good foot to shove the brick in place to hold the door and hurried around the back of the building. She waited for Ray and stopped him coming around the back.

Ray slipped on a pair of shoes carelessly and followed her outside and down the stairs. He obediently stopped and didn't follow her outside.

"Wait there and close your eyes," she said excitedly. She opened the door on the shed and very carefully wheeled the bike out. She winced as she put a bit of weight on her bad ankle, but it didn't hurt as much as it had.

"Okay, you can open them," she said and clasped her hands together nervously.

He closed his eyes as he was told and waited, shivering slightly in the frosty morning air. He opened them once he heard her instruction and blinked a few times until he got his sight back, the glare from the winter sun was bright, he was glad that there wasn't any snow. If there was he would've stood a good chance of being blinded.

He waited until his eyes adjusted and gazed dumbfounded at the bike in front of him. He gaped, open mouthed at her.

"How is this not as fantastical as the necklace?" he questioned incredulously. "Ronnie. You've bought me a bike. For Christmas," he said as he made his way towards it. He traced a finger over the handles and the smooth seat. He looked up at her with a grin and took her chin gently, he met her halfway over the bike and gave her a gentle kiss.

"Thank you," he grinned then looked down at her stomach. "We're gonna need to get a side-car at some point though. For the littleun," he said, nodding to her tummy.

"You really like it?" she asked excitedly. She shook her head at his side-car suggestion and chuckled. "It's a shame because I'll only be able to ride for another month or so. We'll have to try and get a road trip in before then. Which means you better get your license sorted, mister."

Ray snorted. "Of course I like it, Ron. You've bought me a bike! What's not to like!" he laughed as he made sure she was steady before wheeling it back around the side of the building to put it next to where she kept hers.

She moved back from the bike and leaned on her crutches.

"Need to get it put away again. It's cold out here. You can play with the bike later," she wrinkled her nose at him and grinned. "We'll have to get ready to head over to dinner soon."

She almost wasn't looking forward to this. She wondered what would happen this year.

He nodded as he came back round the corner and motioned for her to go inside.

"I promise to try to keep my cool no matter what happens," he vowed as he motioned for her to get back inside

Ronnie locked the shed and stuck the keys in her dressing gown pocket before heading back inside.

"I'll do my best, too. At least this year, Roxy and I won't probably be fighting. Silver lining," she commented dryly as she handed Ray her crutches and used the stair rail to help get herself up the stairs.

"At least you won't be the only 'stranger' there," she said, making finger quotes around the word,"stranger". JT is going to be just as out of place as you are."

She unlocked the door to the flat and pushed it open before taking her crutches back from Ray.

"I'll tell you something else, if anything does kick off, I don't mind leaving."

Ray nodded. He knew who her family members were, and he had spoken to them all at some point. He didn't know her Aunt that well and had never spoken to her cousin. But Roxy was fun. He liked her. And he liked JT. He was a little apprehensive about this meal.

Ray gave her back her crutches and shut the front door behind them. He took her wrist gently and kissed her forehead.

"It's fine, Ronnie. If you want to go all you have to do is say the word and we are out of there," he smiled and then looked over her shoulder at the clock.

"Now, I'm going for a shower," he said and kissed her properly before heading towards the bathroom to clean up.

Ronnie rummaged in her wardrobe. She pulled out a long red top and black pants. She wasn't in a mood to wear a dress. She went over to the mirror and looked at the necklace.

She traced over it again with her fingers and fought back tears again. She sniffed and hurriedly wiped her face before Ray came out of the bathroom.

She set about picking up the wrapping paper and tidying up the bedroom. She carefully took off the necklace and put it on the dresser. She carried the mugs back into the kitchen and washed them up.

Ray came out of the bathroom and set about getting dressed. He chose comfort over formality and picked out a warm jumper and his best pair of jeans.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan woke up early and stumbled into the kitchen. She got the coffee started and then pulled out ingredients to make breakfast. She knotted her hair at the nape of her neck and yawned hugely as she waited for the coffee to brew.

Rowan bobbed her head to the music but avoided singing. She didn't want to deafen anyone who might be awake. Chris came into the kitchen and sat down at the table. She looked back at him and then turned her attention back to the bacon.

"You should get a shower and get dressed before the girls get up."

He sighed and got up to do as she asked.

Chris got cleaned up and dressed and went back into the kitchen to see Rowan putting a plate of food on the table for him.

Whitney opened her eyes and sniffed. Food. She climbed out of bed and padded into the kitchen. She couldn't believe how quiet it was. She smiled at Chris and Rowan and sat down at the table.

"Morning," Rowan said and got Whitney a cup of tea.

"Morning, thanks," Whitney said and fixed her tea.

"Would you like some breakfast?"

"Yes, please, it smells great."

Rowan made her a plate of food and put it in front of Whitney and then sat down herself to eat.

Whitney gratefully dug into the delicious breakfast while she listened with half an ear to Rowan and Chris' idle chatter.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa woke up with a small yawn and looked out the bedroom window. She lifted her head to peer at the clock. She sighed. She hated that mornings were so dark in the winter, it fooled you into believing that it was still night-time, made you think you could have a couple more hours of sleep. She looked at the clock again. Then smiled. 25th December. Christmas day. She crawled out of Jack's arms and smiled at the bow still tied around her wrist. She let out a light chuckle and gently stroked a finger down his cheek before getting off the bed and grabbing his fluffy dressing gown: so much warmer than hers.

Alyssa made her way downstairs and fixed a few pieces of toast, got a small eggcup and put butter in it and grabbed a couple of plates and knives. She laid them all on a tray as she waited for the kettle. She looked at her engagement ring as she waited for the kettle. Engaged. She was engaged to Jack. Her stomach did a somersault. She couldn't be happier. And he had proposed on Christmas Eve underneath the mistletoe. Could he be more romantic. The click of the kettle brought her out of her reverie and she filled their mugs and took them and the tray back upstairs. She placed his mug on his bedside table and did the same with hers, then placed the tray on the floor, ready for when he woke up. She laid back against the backboard of the bed and sipped her coffee as she happily remembered the previous evenings events.

Jack opened his eyes and sniffed appreciatively. He looked at the tea and toast on the table and then looked at her. She still had that ribbon around her wrist. He reached over and tugged on the ribbon and grinned at her.

"Merry Christmas, my little fiancé," he purred and pulled her on top of him.

Alyssa smiled down at him and flattened herself against him so she was comfortable. She kissed him languorously.

"Merry Christmas," she replied. "I loved my Christmas present," she added with a grin as she stared down in to his eyes and traced a finger down the column of his neck.

"Your Christmas present loved you, too," he said and leaned over to kiss her. He stopped and looked at her.

"I should get the turkey in the oven."

He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and rolled off the bed. He picked up his tea and drank it as he walked down stairs.

Alyssa watched him go with a smile. She reached down for the tray and placed it on her lap. She grabbed her phone and checked for texts. Nothing. Good. She lay back and propped her pillows up behind her so she was sitting up. Alyssa started on her toast, making sure not to get crumbs in the bed.

Jack set about getting the turkey ready and in the oven. He could barely contain his excitement that she'd said yes. He hadn't really thought she would say no, but you could never be 100% sure until they actually said yes. He started humming as he flipped on the oven and made sure all was ready before finally putting the turkey in. He went back upstairs and set the alarm on his watch for when the turkey would be done.

He dropped onto the bed and munched his way through his toast, gazing at her with a slight smile as he did so.

Alyssa furrowed her brow at him as she caught him watching her. She swallowed her mouthful and raised an eyebrow. She put the tray down on the floor and looked over at him with a smile.

"What time are Rowan and Chris getting here?" she asked as she sat up crossed legged and watched him eat.

Jack looked at the clock.

"Noonish, I wanted them to get here after most of the cooking was done," he replied with a grin. "Don't want to tempt fate with getting Rowan here too early. I'd hate to have to kick her out of the kitchen.

Alyssa chuckled.

"I'm sure she will be trying to offer some sort of help. But don't let her take control," she added with a smile. Then fell onto her back.

"I won't, but I'll be nice about it," he told her. "She's going to be family of a sort now, don't want to go making her mad. Who knows what she might do," he remarked.

She used one hand to trace her ring. As she stared at the ceiling for a moment. Then she turned her face to look at him and sat up again. She smiled at him.

"Do you have any idea how romantic last night was?" she asked softly.

He pulled her close. "I was too busy thinking about getting it done to be honest," he replied. "But, uh, you can feel free to go on and on about it if you like," he added and kissed her.

Alyssa wrapped her arms around him and smiled up at him once he had finished kissing her.

"You know you could've lied and bigged yourself up and told me that you planned it," she grinned. "I mean, you proposed to me, underneath mistletoe, on Christmas Eve! How more romantic can you get?" she smiled. "But no, 'I was too busy thinking about getting it done,'" she imitated his Mancunian accent with a chuckle.

"I know, but what would have been the point. It worked out to my advantage though," he chuckled.

She studied his face for a moment.

"I love you" she told him and kissed the tip of his nose.

"I love you, too," he said and kissed her nose back. "Now," he said and huffed out a long breath. "We need to get ready. We will have company here in two hours and I have a lot to do. And you, my little domestic goddess are going to be cleaning house while I cook."

Alyssa rolled her eyes and regretfully let go of him. She was in favour of delaying dinner for a while and spending more of the day cuddled up with him in bed. She sighed and kissed him before sitting up and sliding off the bed.

"In that case. I get the bathroom first," she grinned and made her way towards the bathroom.

"Downside of having a house is there's more to clean," she muttered as she stepped into the shower.

"Really as long as the front room and bathroom are done who cares? They're hardly going to be running all over the house," he told her as he followed her into the bathroom.

"No real need to panic, my fiery-haired vixen," he said expansively and grabbed her to him and kissed her. He eyed her up and down and grinned appreciatively before going back downstairs to work on the food."

Alyssa climbed into the shower and washed quickly. She dried herself, dressed, dried her hair and sorted her makeup. She tidied their bedroom and grabbed the tray down the side of the bed. She carried it down stairs and dodged around Jack as she went to put everything in the sink. She smiled and kissed his cheek then went to the cupboard under the stairs and got the hoover out to start on the front room.

Jack finished up what he was working on and then went upstairs to get ready.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Roxy stretched out in bed as she smelt the smell of cooking coming from the kitchen. She sighed as she noticed that JT wasn't in bed. She listened and heard Aunty Peggy, JT and Amy's familiar early morning chatter coming from the general direction of the kitchen. She debated whether or not to get up. She decided against it.

Roxy burrowed back under her duvet and snuggled down in the middle of her bed. She sighed happily and just lay there, quite happy just to listen to the quiet clattering and talking in the upstairs section of the pub.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Alex woke up to the sound of her baby crying. She marvelled at how she instantly recognised the sound of her son. She smiled at the nurse that came in and saw fit to hand Sam to her. She rocked him gently before realising that he was hungry. She glanced at Gene briefly and smiled as she saw him dozing in the chair next to the bed. She would have to call Molly. That wasn't hard. But first she would feed Sam.

Gene sat up and rubbed his eyes and immediately turned his head when he saw what Alex was doing. He really didn't want to see that. He stood up.

"Going for a brew and a smoke," he mumbled and rubbed at his face again before walking out of the room.

Alex nodded and watched him leave.

Gene came back into the hospital with a bag of croissants, a tea for himself and a coffee for Alex.

He was glad to see she was done feeding the baby and since the nurse was leaving, he'd managed to avoid her check up as well. He grinned and put the things on the table and handed her the coffee.

"I assume all is well? Please, just yes or no, no details," he warned.

Alex chuckled lightly and nodded as she reached out a hand to him. She took his and pressed it to her lips.

"Yes," she nodded with a small laugh as she cradled their son against her with one arm. She sighed as she studied his tiny face.

"He looks like you," she murmured as she gazed lovingly down at Sam, then back up at Gene.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

JT finally finished helping Peggy with the worst of getting things ready and went to see if Roxy was awake. He put a cup of tea down on the bedside table and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Morning, beautiful," he whispered.

Roxy opened her eyes and slipped her arms around his neck lazily.

"Merry Christmas," she answered as she pressed her lips to his softly and kissed him good morning. She drew away and smiled at him.

"How long have you been up?" she asked as she pulled him to sit on the bed.

"Dunno, few hours now I 'spect. I was helping your Aunt with the cooking. I figured it would be nice for you to sleep in," he explained and wrapped his arms around her. "Amy's had her breakfast. She's being very good this morning."

Roxy leaned against him with a contented sigh.

"She knows to behave. It's Christmas. I'm surprised that she's not after her unopened presents yet though," she shrugged and inhaled. "So, family meal," she sighed. "I wonder what will happen this year."

"Does something usually go wrong?" he asked in surprise. "Our family meals back home are always looked forward to. Course, Gem generally did the cooking.

He shrugged.

"I'll have to take you and Amy home sometime," he said absently.

"Well, the day is getting on so you should get yerself up and ready so she can open the rest of her presents."

He patted her backside and gave her a small push to get her moving.

Roxy sighed and nodded.

"Unfortunately a Mitchell Family meal always ends in disaster. Like, well, last Christmas my Dad got murdered," she told him with her eyes shut, "the year before that my husband found out he wasn't Amy's father and he kidnapped her. He had her for ages before we finally found them," she added then shook herself to shake the memories away. It was better not to dwell on them. "So, curse of the Mitchell's, everything ends badly," she shrugged.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Peggy smiled as she went about getting things ready. That JT was such a help! Roxy had done really well there. She knew Ronnie was happy with Ray but didn't know much about him. She shrugged. He seemed all right. She wondered how Phil would react to a police officer being at dinner. He would just have to deal with it.

He'd been drinking more than ever since he and Ben had argued and Ben had moved out and in with Ian. Nothing Phil did seemed to do any good to get him to come home. Then Ian had used his money to fulfill one of Ben's requests and sent him away to school. Phil had been devastated, especially since Ian wouldn't say where Ben was. He only offered to pass on messages or letters and repeating the same thing over and over again every time Phil came round. Stop drinking and Ben might consider coming home.

She sighed and shook her head. She wasn't going to let this spoil today. They were all going to be together and they were all going to have a good day. She nodded firmly to herself and made another cup of tea.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Molly sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. She looked around for a moment, taking in her unfamiliar surroundings. She remembered where she was and looked around for Whitney. The door was ajar and Molly could hear voices outside. She wondered what time it was. She reached behind her for her phone and checked. It was still early. It was Christmas Day. She grinned and got out of bed. She walked out of JT's room cautiously and saw Rowan, Chris and Whitney at the table.

"Good morning," she greeted them. "And Merry Christmas," she added with a grin.

"Morning, Molly, breakfast?" Rowan offered and stood up.

"Merry Christmas, Molls, innit," Whitney said with a grin and tapped her bracelet. "It's weird how quiet it is here. And actually getting to sit and eat a whole meal without stopping to clean up spilled juice, or cereal or stopping a fight," Whitney observed. She picked up her empty plate and took it to the sink.

"Thank you so much, Rowan, that was brilliant," she said.

"You're welcome," Rowan replied as she fixed Molly a plate.

"I get to eat like this everyday," Chris bragged, earning himself a smack on the back of the head from Rowan.

"Be nice," she scolded.

Molly chuckled at them all.

"Thank you," she said as the plate was placed in front of her and she began to eat. She wanted to go to the hospital and see her Mum and Gene and Sam again today. She wanted to hold her little brother again.

Rowan finished washing the rest of the dirty dishes.

"So, what time to you want me to get you a cab for? So you can go visit Alex? " Rowan asked Molly.

"I'll go along in the cab, you can drop me at home since I'm on the way. I'm sure the kids want to show me all their presents and since B is likely to be hungover she'll want some help."

Molly looked up from her breakfast and looked over at the clock. She chewed silently as she thought.

"About an hour?" she shrugged after swallowing.

Rowan nodded.

"Now, you're taller than me, but I have some dresses that might fit you. I didn't think about you not having any spare clothes at the time. I could always walk over and get you some."

Molly shook her head with a grin.

"It's fine. I can go home and get showered and everything, then come back and we can go to see Mum," she smiled. "It's not far to go home, only a 10 minute walk. And about half that if I run," she said lightly as she finished her breakfast. She stood and placed the empty plate in the sink.

"Thank you for breakfast. It beats cereal by a long shot."

"You're not going by yourself," Rowan told her. "I don't mean to sound paranoid, but after last night, your mother would kill me if I let you go on your own."

Rowan went to her room and got dressed and brushed out her hair.

Molly sighed. She didn't want to argue. But she did want to go home and sort herself out there. She nodded and went back to her room. She dressed in what she had worn the previous day and placed the top Rowan had leant her on the wash bin. She made sure she had everything then went back to the kitchen to wait for Rowan.

Rowan came into the front room followed by Whitney.

"It's just as easy to call the cab from there as it is here," she said with a smile and led the girls out.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Jane puttered around the kitchen and groaned as she heard the heavy footsteps on the stairs pass her door. She was so hungover! At least she only had to make one dish to take to Christian's for dinner. Peter could help her make that. Ian had taken off somewhere with Bobby. Jane didn't mind, the less she saw of Ian the better as far as she was concerned.

He'd avoided her quite a bit over the past few months, especially after the divorce was final. She was glad though that she and Max had finally got over the awkwardness after that one night stand they'd had. She hated to lose him as a friend. At least herself, Max and Vanessa seemed to be the only ones who knew it had happened. A few months later, he'd slept with that Ffion and the next day, he and Jane were back to being normal mates again and he seemed to be avoiding women altogether. She sighed and shook her head. She had no place to judge. She was doing the same thing herself.

Though she did keep very busy. Between running the café and doing her gigs she always seemed to be going somewhere, but she didn't mind. She was doing it for herself and that made it all worthwhile.

/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\

Roxy climbed off the bed and grabbed a dressing gown and threw it over herself. She went through to the kitchen, cradling her morning cuppa and kissed the top of Amy's head before draining the tea and placing the mug in the sink.

"Morning, Aunty Peg," she said lightly before going down the narrow corridor towards the bathroom for a shower.

JT followed her to the bathroom and wrapped her in a hug.

"Babe, I had no idea. I'm so sorry," he whispered and kissed her cheek. He decided he would do whatever he could to make today special for her.

He went back down the hall and got Amy and took her into the front room to play with some of the toys she'd got so she wouldn't fuss about her presents.

Roxy shook her head at him. It didn't matter anymore. Not after what Archie had done to Ronnie, but she wouldn't bring that up. She wouldn't blab Ronnie's secrets to anyone, not when they were on such good terms for once. And she had got Amy back off Sean so it was fine. She was fine. Roxy undressed herself and shut the bathroom door before stepping under the flow of hot water.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Gerald sat alone in his study. Ever since Caroline had got in the car after her 'talk' with Alyssa she had been in a vile mood. She flew off the handle at the mention of their daughter's name and both Benjamin and Gerald had learnt not to bring her up in conversation. Gerald had found it interesting that Benjamin hadn't been surprised at his sister's refusal to return home. When questioned his answer had been 'She never followed the rules.'

Gerald swirled the scotch in his glass idly, gaze transfixed on the amber liquid as he thought about the events leading up to their 'reunion' with their daughter. And the consequences that followed. He admitted to himself long ago that he missed his daughter's presence around the house. His son had understood long ago that she was a daddy's girl. Caroline had doted on Benjamin.

A call from the kitchen roused Gerald from his thoughts. He scowled. Christmas dinner. A 'family' occasion. One vital member of his family was missing and her mother was now refusing to acknowledge her existence.

A dark brunette head appeared around the door to his study. Sophia. His daughter in law. Alyssa's replacement in Caroline's eyes. But she wasn't Alyssa.

"Gerald? Caroline says dinner's ready," she told him sweetly as she opened his door properly and stood in the doorway before him. Gerald nodded and heaved himself out of his armchair. He drained his scotch and left the glass on his desk as he made his way towards the dining room.

/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ronnie hurriedly got ready and carefully put the necklace on. She turned to Ray and smiled.

"Ready," she said and let out a long breath. She swung into the front room and pulled on her coat and got the presents she'd bought for Aunty Peg, Billy, Phil and Jay and put them in a bag. She handed the bag to Ray and made her way downstairs.

Ray followed Ronnie out of the flat, walking behind her, ready to catch her if she fell.

Ronnie smiled at Jane who was coming out of her flat.

"Merry Christmas, Ronnie. What happened?"

"Merry Christmas, Jane," Ronnie greeted and blushed. "I stumbled on the stairs yesterday, twisted my ankle, don't you remember?"

Jane groaned and covered her face. "Sorry, I don't remember much from yesterday. I can't believe I got so pissed. Here, let me get the door," Jane said and opened the door for Ronnie.

"Thanks, Jane," Ronnie said with a smile.

"Off to family dinner?" Jane asked Ronnie.

"Yeah, how about you?"

"Going to have dinner with my brother. He and Syed are cooking, should be fun. Peter's coming along too, Ian's disappeared again. He may have gone to spend Christmas with Lucy, I don't know," she shrugged. "Well, have a good day anyway."

"You too," Ronnie said and smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Ray," Jane said as he reached the bottom of the stairs and held the door for him, too.

He nodded at Jane as he made sure that Ronnie got outside okay.

"Merry Christmas, Jane," he smiled as he passed her and helped Ronnie down the steps.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

JT fussed with his jacket and tried to stay calm as he was introduced to Phil, Billy, Jay and Phil's girlfriend Shirley. He was polite as he'd been taught, but something about Phil made him nervous. Billy and the boy, Jay, seemed all right. Shirley seemed nervous and JT noticed she kept sneaking glances at Phil out of the corner of her eye.

Peggy bustled around, handing around drinks, making sure Phil and Jay got orange juice. Jay groaned causing Billy to chuckle and Phil looked...angry. JT waved off the beer Peggy held out to him.

"I'll just have a Coke thanks all the same," he told her. Phil snorted and looked JT up and down.

Peggy nodded and took the beer back and brought JT a Coke.

"Not man enough to have a drink then?" Phil sneered.

JT turned and looked at him. "How is getting drunk enough so that you can't walk and you get sick all over yourself being a man? Can't walk, can't control your body, sounds like a baby t'me," JT remarked mildly.

Phil frowned and Shirley put a hand on his arm and moved him away.

JT looked at Roxy.

"He's gonna be a problem, ain't he?" JT whispered to her.

Roxy gamely said hello to all of her relatives and extended family. She made an effort to be nice to Phil and not say anything to aggravate him. She wanted Christmas to be nice for her family for a change. She stopped her conversation with Jay as Peggy handed her a vodka and coke and looked at JT, she stepped away from Jay and looked over at Phil for half-a-second.

"Phil's an alcoholic. He's gone downhill recently, Aunty Peg is really worried. Don't take anything he says seriously, ignore him," she advised in a low voice as she averted her eyes from her cousin, she knew Shirley knew what she was talking about though. She wasn't stupid. Roxy nodded at Shirley calmly to confirm the elder woman's thoughts and received a curt nod in reply.

JT nodded.

"That's never a good thing," he commented quietly. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and joined her conversation with Jay.

Peggy finished setting up the dining table in the front room and smiled. "Now, as soon as Ray and Ronnie get here we can sit down and have a nice family meal," she said happily.

"It looks lovely, Peggy," Billy said.

"Yeah, s'great," Jay echoed.

Peggy went to the tree and picked up some packages and handed round presents.

"Cheers, Peggy. I didn't get you nothing," Billy said, his tone slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, don't worry about it Billy. I don't want anything and I'd rather you got presents for the kids," she said and patted his cheek as she handed Jay his gift.

Jay thanked her and opened it to find a new mp3 player. His other one had been broken by Phil when Phil was off his head on booze.

"Thanks, Peggy."

"You're welcome dear, Billy told me you lost your old one. Be careful with that one then," she cautioned him.

Jay smiled and glanced at Billy who looked down.

"I will, promise."


	4. Chapter 4

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 4**

Ray followed Ronnie into the pub and walked slowly behind her as she made her way upstairs. He walked behind out of respect for her family, because he was a little nervous, and to be there in case she lost her footing. He was relieved when they finally reached the top and he followed her to greet her family.

Ronnie glanced back at Ray, took a deep breath and went into the front room, a smile on her face.

Peggy saw her walk in and walked over to give her a hug.

"Hi, Aunty Peg," Ronnie said and hugged her back.

"What happened, darling?" Peggy said, looking at Ronnie.

"I'm fine, just twisted my ankle, I'll be okay," Ronnie replied.

"You remember Ray?" Ronnie said and gestured at him.

"Yes, how are you?" Peggy said and gave him a smile.

Ray followed closely behind her and surveyed her family curiously. Phil. Ronnie had warned him about her cousin. Ray guessed instantly who she had meant. The middle-aged guy with the sour expression on his face, standing next to a woman who looked way too old to be wearing what she was wearing. She looked worried though, that woman. He looked back as Peggy spoke and he smiled warmly at her.

"Fine, thanks," he replied as he stepped forward and into the conversation. "Food smells amazing," he added with a grin.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Roxy looked up as she heard Ronnie's voice and patted JT's arm as she went to give her sister a hug. She wrapped her arms around Ronnie carefully and then pulled back.

"Merry Christmas, Ron," she smiled happily.

Merry Christmas, Rox," Ronnie said and hugged her sister back.

Peggy asked JT to help her bring out the food. Ronnie took Ray's hand and led him out of Peggy's way.

"This is Billy, and Jay," she introduced. They nodded and shook his hand.

She gave Ray a beer and continued walking him across the room.

"This is Phil and Shirley," she finished. She ran a hand through her hair and flashed everyone a quick half-smile. Phil nodded at Ray and walked off. Shirley frowned and rolled her eyes.

"I honestly don't know why I keep putting up with him," Shirley muttered as she admired the gloves Peggy had bought her. Phil glanced around and slipped out with a bottle of whiskey.

Peggy and JT brought all the food in.

Ronnie took a drink of her tea as she leaned on her crutches. She absently toyed with the necklace as she watched Peggy bring in the food.

"Well, come on everyone, sit down," Peggy waved everyone towards the table. She picked up the knife and looked around.

"Where's Phil?"

"Right here, mum," Phil slurred as he walked up behind Peggy. Peggy turned and looked and her face fell as she realized Phil was drunk.

"What? What's that look for?" he asked him Peggy, his tone slightly annoyed. He looked around at everyone staring at him and laughed.

Shirley huffed out a breath.

"That's it, Phil," she said coldly and walked up to him. "I was going to change my mind, but now, no. I'm moving back in with Hev, Phil. Merry Christmas." She walked out.

"Go on, then, I won't miss you, you stupid hatchet-faced bitch," Phil yelled after her.

"Phil!" Peggy yelled.

JT walked over to Phil.

"Look, I think you better calm down before you cause trouble," JT said.

Phil shoved him away. "Get out of my face, you moron. We all know you're only after her money," Phil sneered.

"What money?" JT asked. "You're a very sad, pathetic man ain't you?"

Phil snorted and pushed JT away again, bumping Ronnie's chair as he did.

Ronnie stood up. "Phil, that's enough, you're drunk. You should go home," she said.

Phil turned to her. He looked her up and down, his eyes fastened on the necklace.

"Awww, your copper give you that?"

He reached up and grabbed the necklace.

"Get off me, Phil," Ronnie snapped and jerked away. Phil's grip on the necklace had been tighter than she'd thought and the chain broke. Ronnie gasped, horrified.

"Oh, dear," Phil said, his tone mocking and laughed. Ronnie slapped him and grabbed for the necklace. Phil grabbed her arms and pushed her back into her chair.

"Why do you want it back? I doubt it means anything to you does it? He doesn't mean anything to you does he? Admit it," Phil mocked as he leaned over at Ronnie.

Roxy gasped as Phil manhandled Ronnie and tore away her necklace. She made to move, but Ray beat her to it.

Ray had seen red. He marched right up to Phil. Ronnie was pregnant for God's sake. Even Ray knew that you didn't push women around, especially when they were 3 months pregnant. He knew Phil's reactions would be slower, the man was clearly drunk. Ronnie had asked him to ignore her cousin, but this was one thing he couldn't ignore. He grabbed the Key off Phil and pocketed it swiftly. He glanced down at Ronnie as he pulled Phil away from her.

"Why don't you," he hissed giving Phil a scathing look. "Pick on someone your own size! Or are you too pathetic to pick on anyone except women," he mocked viciously, his eyes narrowed in fury. He didn't care that he was Ronnie's cousin. The man had hurt her and was teasing her, not in a friendly way either, he was jeering at her in a way that Ray could not overlook.

Phil laughed in Ray's face.

"You should keep that in your pocket, mate," Phil said softly, his voice thick with scorn. "Because I'll tell you something, yeah? There's only one thing she wants from you," Phil poked Ray in the chest. "The minute she finds out she's pregnant, mate, your days will be numbered."

Phil laughed and looked around.

"You're all such a pathetic bunch of losers," he bellowed and laughed.

"Phil, get out of here, now!" Peggy snapped. Billy jumped up and went over to try and help get Phil out of the room.

Peggy went over to Ronnie to make sure she was okay.

Ray scowled as he watched Phil leave with Billy's help and knelt down in front of Ronnie's chair. He took her hand and pressed the Key into it. The chain could be replaced easily enough. He knelt up and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. He wondered at what Phil had said.

Ray knew about what Ronnie had done to Jack, she had told him, he knew about Danielle, and her bastard father. But, he also knew that she had sworn that she would never do anything like that to him. Ever. He loved her, he trusted her. But, he also wasn't ready to have a kid, not yet. But abortion was out of the question, he couldn't ask her to lose another child. Not after everything she had been through. No. He wouldn't. But, she had said it would take 6 months to get that stuff out of her system, 6 months before she could get pregnant. What if she had missed the one before the one that he knew she had missed. If you did the calculations then that worked. Was she that desperate for a child? He shook the thoughts from his mind, all that mattered at the moment was making sure that she was okay. That was important. Then he could dwell on what Phil had said. Surely she wouldn't chuck him out, he wasn't sure he would be able to go without her.

"Ronnie?" he asked tenderly "Are you alright?" he said as he cupped her cheek and made her look at him.

"I'm fine, I'm okay," Ronnie said as she nodded. She looked down at the key and sighed. "Phil always has to ruin everything. I'm so sorry, Ray. He's horrible when he drinks."

She leaned and put her head on his shoulder.

JT went over to Roxy. "Nasty piece of work, your cousin."

Peggy came back upstairs after making sure Billy had gotten Phil out of the pub. She looked around, slightly sad, but unbeaten.

"JT, since you helped cook it, would you mind carving?"

JT kissed Roxy's cheek and nodded. He walked over to Peggy and began to carve the turkey.

Ray slipped his arm around her and sighed. For now he would just enjoy the family meal. Then he could think about what Phil had said. He firmly smiled down at her, determined to have a nice time.

"Cheer up. The days just begun, Ron, we haven't even started on the food," he grinned and kissed her forehead again.

Roxy nodded with a sigh.

"Sometimes. Other times he's okay, he's going through a bad patch at the moment," she told him then smiled at her aunt as she sent JT to carve.

Ronnie nodded and stroked his cheek. She accepted the plate Peggy handed her and gave Ray a small smile. She toyed with her food. She'd seen the look in Ray's eyes after Phil's foul words.

He was unsure of her now. She wanted to leave, go home. She took a few bites of her food.

JT kept Peggy and Roxy distracted and amused.

Jay hurriedly finished eating.

"D'you mind if I make up a plate for Bill?" he asked.

Peggy nodded. "Sure, c'mon darling, I'll help you."

Ray dug into his food hungrily. He was starving.

Peggy came back in after making sure Jay had plenty of food to take home.

"How is everything?"she wanted to know.

"It's fine, Aunty Peg, thank you," Ronnie said and gave her a quick smile. She traced the necklace where she'd laid it next to her plate. She choked down some more of her food, but she still wasn't hungry.

JT finished eating and took his plate into the kitchen and cleaned up Amy's face. He took the little girl and put her with her toys on the floor and shifted his chair so he could still talk to Roxy and watch over Amy at the same time.

"Brilliant, Aunty Peg," Roxy grinned and Ray nodded, unable to answer due to his mouth being full to bursting.

Roxy smiled as JT sorted Amy. She was glad that he found it so easy to interact with her. She was also happy that Amy liked him. She was normally ambivalent towards new people for ages. She had warmed to JT almost instantly.

Roxy raised an eyebrow as Amy tugged on a stray strand of string protruding from underneath the rug. It was clearly attached. Amy tugged harder and Roxy dropped to hers knees opposite her daughter and gently took the strand from her grasp and hid it under the rug. Then slipped one of her bracelets off and gave it to Amy so she could occupy herself.

Roxy sat back at the table to finish her food and glanced over at Ronnie. She seemed to be okay after Phil's outburst. And Ray had stood up for her. She would be fine.

JT grinned and shook his head at Amy's antics and began to help Peggy clear the table. He still couldn't figure out what Phil was talking about. After what money? Money was something JT hardly needed or cared about. He shrugged to himself and scraped the plates.

Ronnie handed JT her plate with a small smile of thanks. She just wanted to go home. She felt sick to her stomach. She picked up the necklace and wrapped it in her hand and began to idly wind the chain around her finger. She stifled a yawn, gave Roxy a shamefaced smile after stifling a second and made sure no one could tell how she felt. Roxy didn't seem to notice anything amiss. Ray was busy eating. She looked back down and began toying with the chain again. She noticed only the clasp had been broken off. That would be pretty easy to repair, she thought to herself.

Peggy smiled and brought out the pudding.

Roxy smiled absently at Ronnie. She and Ray must have had a busy Christmas eve if Ronnie was tired already. She looked up as Peggy brought out the Christmas pudding and automatically reached for the brandy and the matches. She turned out the light, filled a spoon with brandy and lit it before pouring it over the pudding.

Ray watched the blue flames slip from the spoon onto the pudding and smiled as they danced in the darkness. He grinned as the flames died and reached behind him for the light switch to turn the lights back on so they could all see again.

Ronnie took another drink of her tea and handed the plate Peggy handed her to Ray and refused any pudding herself. Her stomach was in knots and she knew she'd never be able to choke it down.

Ray ate his way through his pudding after adding a healthy amount of custard. He noticed Ronnie wasn't eating, but put that down to the baby. Messing up her eating patterns or whatever. He didn't know. He didn't know anything about pregnancy except that Ronnie would go all hormonal. He hoped he could deal with that.

Ronnie got up and moved over to sit on the couch and finally open the present her aunt had bought her. She was delighted to find a new pashmina. Her other one had been wrecked, she didn't like to dwell on that situation. She'd been meaning to buy a new one but had somehow never got around to it. She smiled and stroked the soft cashmere and thanked Amy, who started bringing her blocks. She stacked them idly on the coffee table and wished for a glass of wine, or vodka.

Ray tore open his present from Peggy and smiled at the scarf that he unwrapped. He wrapped it around his neck carefully and gave the elderly lady a quick peck on the cheek by way of thanks.

Peggy waved Ray away with a small giggle and continued picking up the last few dishes. Ronnie got up, draped the pashmina over her shoulders. She grabbed the last handful of cutlery and followed Peggy into the kitchen.

"I think I'm going to go now, Aunty Peg," she said.

"Why, darlin. Everything's okay now," she said and and took Ronnie's hand.

"I know, I'm just tired and my stomach's a bit upset."

"All right, you take it easy then okay?"

"I will," Ronnie smiled and hugged her aunt. She went back into the front room and gave Roxy a hug goodbye before pulling on her coat and moving over to Ray.

"I'm sorry, I'm really tired. I'm going home," she told him.

Ray nodded. He looked up at her and then stood. He felt strange staying here without Ronnie. Not his family. Hers. He waved his goodbyes and followed her out of the room and walked behind her down the stairs.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Rowan walked with Molly and Whitney to Molly's flat. She sat and talked with Whitney while Molly got ready. She called a cab for the girls when Molly was finished and walked back to the restaurant.

She quickly got ready and then she and Chris headed to Jack and Alyssa's.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Gene snorted at Alex's comment.

"Let's hope not."

Alex looked up and frowned at him.

"And what is wrong with looking like you?" she demanded "Personally I think that the fact that he shares your pout is adorable" she grinned as she rocked her son gently in her arms.

Gene rolled his eyes and took a drink of his tea.

"Drink your coffee, woman," he said softly and took the baby so she could have her hands free.

Alex chuckled at his evasiveness and let him take Sam from her. She reached for the coffee on the table but grabbed her phone instead. She checked her texts and found nothing. She sighed and took the steaming mug in her hands.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Jack had dinner almost ready and looked at the clock. He rubbed his hands together and began setting the table.

Alyssa looked over the house critically and decided that it was decent. She hastily put the hover away and went to look over how Jack was doing. She smiled at his table arrangement and went round, perfecting everything. She made sure there were matches ready to light the candles that she had made sure to dig out of the drawer.

She smiled and looked over the table once more, satisfied. She went to the fridge and saw the wine and the beer cooling. She inhaled deeply and sighed. It smelt gooooood.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Molly sat patiently in the cab as it drove. It was Christmas Day. She had picked up some things from home that she thought Alex, Gene and Sam might need, along with Christmas presents for them all. She had also picked up the presents that Alex had got for her and Gene. She knew where her mum kept them. She wasn't stupid.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Chris and Rowan finally walked up to the door and Rowan knocked. She sniffed the air and smiled at Chris.

"Something smells good," she said as they waited for the door to open.

Alyssa looked up at the knock. She grinned.

"They're here!" she called out to Jack and ran to open the door for them.

The cool air hit her as she threw open the door to reveal her friends. She shivered as she smiled at them.

Alyssa stood back to let them inside.

Rowan grinned at Alyssa as she walked in. She hugged Alyssa and looked around.

Chris gave Alyssa a one-armed hug and followed Rowan into the house.

Jack came out of the kitchen.

"Great timing," he said and gave Rowan a quick squeeze.

"It smells great, Jack."

He smiled. "Thanks, Ro."

Chris shook Jack's hand. "It does smell good."

"Well, I just hope it tastes good. Come on in and sit down. D'you want a beer?"

"Sure, thanks," Chris said.

Alyssa shut the door swiftly behind her family, shutting out the bitterly cold winter air and banishing it from her home. She smiled as she followed the others through to the table and grabbed the cans out of the fridge. She avoided giving Rowan wine. She knew from past experience that it was a bad mix.

Rowan and Chris thanked Alyssa for the beer.

Jack began putting the food on the table as Rowan leaned against a kitchen counter and watched as she sipped her beer.

"So, how's your lodger situation working out?" Rowan asked

Alyssa smiled at them as she got herself a glass of wine and a beer out of the fridge for Jack.

"Ffion's fine, she's helpful when she is here, which isn't often. But I wouldn't recommend going into her room, she's not the tidiest of people," she said with a smile.

"We're worried about her though," she sighed. "We think she's got a problem."

"What sort of problem? I mean, she does work for me so if there's something I should know, please tell me," Rowan wanted to know.

Alyssa sighed and twirled the stem of her glass.

"Well, it's not exactly a secret that Fee, well," she paused, trying to find the words. "Let's just say she enjoys male company."

Alyssa looked up from her glass and at her friends. "She's often somewhere else, not here. Which I'm grateful for, I don't really want a load of strange men pottering around the house, but Jack pointed out the other morning, that when she comes home, alone, she seems depressed. And the more I think about it the more I see what he means. I meant to talk to her about it but the opportunity hasn't come up yet."

"Do you think her brother knows? I mean, I've noticed that she's quite a flirt, but hadn't realized it was quite that extreme," Rowan sighed. "I can't believe I missed it."

"I think she may have some sort of approval issues," Jack put in.

Alyssa shrugged.

"I don't know if Rhys realises how extreme it could be. I mean, he hasn't lived with her for a while," Alyssa sighed. "I meant to talk to Shaz about it."

Rowan nodded.

"I'll keep an eye out," she promised.

Chris finished his food and leaned back.

"Not bad, Jack, not bad at all. What else is there?"

Jack chuckled and took Chris' empty plate.

"I bought the Christmas pudding. I barely managed dinner. I think I would have ruined anything else," he joked as he placed it on the table.

"You did all right, mate," Chris complimented.

"Yes, Jack, you did a good job. It was nice having someone else cook for a change," Rowan grinned at him.

"Coming from you, that's high praise indeed," Jack said and ruffled her hair. Rowan swung her hand out to smack him and he jumped away. She shook her head and looked at Alyssa with a pained expression.

"Are you really going to marry this guy? Maybe you want to rethink your answer."

Jack threw his head back and laughed as he carried the rest of the plates to the kitchen.

Alyssa twirled her wine glass and smiled.

"Maybe," she agreed with a grin."But he keeps me amused," she sighed. "Never a dull moment," she said as she heard him clattering about in the kitchen.

Rowan chuckled. After they'd eaten, she excused herself and went outside to smoke. She had considered quitting, but now the pregnancy thing didn't seem to be happening she couldn't see the point. She glanced at her watch. Chris would have to go soon. He'd volunteered to take over for DC Hale on nights. She sighed. Two weeks now he'd been on nights. Two weeks since he'd touched her. She couldn't blame him. He'd been right, she knew he'd been right.

The huge fight they'd had when he'd come home and told her he would be working nights for the next month or so had been pointless. She'd started to focus too much on getting pregnant. She'd become wooden and distant, moreso each time she didn't catch. His disappointment in her had become an almost living presence.

He accused her of being so in control she couldn't even enjoy their time together. He'd been completely right. She'd become far too controlling lately. It always seemed one extreme or another. But she couldn't stand that he made her feel like a failure and she'd wanted to get her own back.

She'd tried to make up numerous times, but he kept pulling away. Nearly nine months they'd been together, she thought to herself. She began to wonder if he was seeing someone else. He'd clearly had it with her. She took another long drag off her cigarette and blew out a long breath. She should let him go. She tossed the cigarette down the sewer drain and went back inside, making sure to smile.

Alyssa helped Jack tidy up the table and clear away the place settings and everything else. She wondered at Chris not going outside with Rowan to smoke. Usually they were inseparable, if one went outside the other did too. She sighed and accepted the situation.

Rowan came back inside and went into the kitchen. She started a nudge fight with Chris over drying the dishes that Alyssa was washing. He finally shook his head at her, threw his hands up and walked away, giving her a smack on the backside as he went. She smiled at Alyssa and started drying. At least he was acting normal. When it was just them at home, he barely spoke.

"Chris is working nights for a couple more weeks yet, we'll have to go soon," she told Alyssa and drained her beer. Chris had switched to tea. "He'll need to get a nap before he goes," she said and winked at Alyssa.

Chris went outside with Jack to smoke. He wished she'd stop trying. He wished he'd not asked. This whole trying to have a baby business had made things hell. He wanted to forgive the way she'd become, but until she agreed that they should stop and just give it time before trying again, time for them to go back to normal, he had nothing to say to her. He hadn't realized she could be quite so single-minded. He should have realized. She was like that when she cooked.

He pulled himself from his reverie and managed to chat idly with Jack as they smoked.

Alyssa smiled at her friends antics and rolled her eyes good-naturedly at Rowan as Chris gave up and walked out. She handed Rowan the final dish and emptied the sink of the dirty soapy water. She rinsed the spare suds out of the sink and started on putting the clean crockery away.

"That's fine," she nodded as she placed a glass in the cupboard. "He's been doing nights for while now right?" she asked as she turned and grabbed another plate. "Surely it's time for him to start on the day shifts again soon?"

"He will when DC Hale gets back. I don't think he's due back for another two weeks. Sucks to be me right now I can tell you," she quipped dryly and put the last dish away. She gave Alyssa a hug.

"Come by the restaurant tomorrow. I'm going to open for a few hours and do a brunch buffet."

She hugged Jack.

"You are quite a decent cook, Jack. I'm impressed."

"Thanks, Ro. I hope you enjoyed not having to do much today."

Rowan chuckled. "I actually did. Very sneaky to have it all done before we got here. Not sure I would have been able to resist otherwise."

Chris gave Alyssa a quick hug and shook Jack's hand.

They pulled on their coats and left.

Alyssa watched them go then shut the door behind them and sighed. She rubbed her hands over her face with a smile and wandered back through to the kitchen. She glanced around and let out a satisfied breath. All the plates, cutlery and glasses had been washes and cleaned. She was glad. Alyssa got herself a fresh glass of wine and a new beer for Jack and took them through to the front room. She tossed him the can and collapsed on the sofa.

Jack caught the can and dropped next to Alyssa on the couch.

"So, that was fun," he said. "Rowan was surprisingly laid back, I wonder why. Shame they couldn't stay longer. Do you want to go to the brunch tomorrow or is the salon open?"

/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan glanced at Chris as they walked, tempted to say something, anything. Her fingers itched to grab his hand and she shoved them in her pockets to stop herself. As they neared the pub, he stopped and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"I'll see you later," he said.

"Have a good night," she replied softly and watched him walk away. She sighed and fished her cigarettes out of her bag and lit up. How could she have let things get like this? She was such a fool. She blew out a long plume of smoke and began to walk aimlessly. No point in going home just to sit alone in an empty flat. She wandered past where she and Alyssa used to live and glanced at the building with a small smile. She missed those days. Never feeling alone. She took another drag and sniffed and swiped at her eyes and moved slowly on her way.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Caroline watched Gerald seething away to himself over his turkey. She could guess why. It had been the same since they had returned to Birmingham. He was only willing to speak about one subject. _Her_! Caroline didn't want to know. _She_ had made it perfectly clear that a mother wasn't welcome in _her_ life. So a mother _she_ no longer had.

Caroline did as she always did and ignored her husband and his scowl as she engaged in conversation with her son and his wife. She was perfect. Benjamin had chosen well. Within the guidelines and Caroline liked her. She talked to them calmly, blanking her husband while his anger fermented

Gerald slammed his cutlery down. Sophia jumped at the sudden noise. Benjamin consoled her with a touch to her shoulder as he gaze questioningly at his father. Caroline watched in amusement. He was fuming. And she sat there. Impassively. He glared at her.

"Why do you insist on this pretence?" he asked

"I don't know what you mean," she answered coolly. Her eyes had turned to ice. She knew where this was going. He wouldn't drop it this time. He wanted answers.

Gerald's face hardened.

"Yes, you do, Caroline. Your reaction to this whole situation has been beyond childish! What did she say to make you like this?" he demanded.

Caroline curled her fists around her knife and fork. Her mask had slipped. In front of family but she couldn't control her emotions. The anger was too strong.

"I don't know what you mean," she repeated stressing every syllable. Gerald could practically see the ice that encrusted her words as she spoke.

"Fine."

Gerald stood and left the table, much to the shock of his family. Benjamin looked to his mother for an answer and was met by a statue. She had frozen and was glaring at the door Gerald had departed out of.  
"Mum?"

Caroline jolted out of her trance as she heard Benjamin speak. She could hear Gerald clattering around upstairs. He wouldn't dare!

She stood up too as she heard Gerald coming back downstairs and walked out into the hall.

"What are you doing!" she asked trying to keep calm. But her voice betrayed her emotions.

Gerald looked at her. It was rare that she slipped like this. She was always so in control. Alyssa must have said something awful to make her like this.

"Well, you won't tell me. So I'm going to ask Alyssa."

Sophia audibly gasped as he spoke her name. The first time Benjamin had spoken about his sister in Caroline's presence the elder woman had made it very clear that her name was not to be uttered in this house. It was a taboo.

Caroline stood. She was shaking with fury as the door swung shut behind her husband. She whirled around to face her son and daughter in law. Mask back in place.

"Dinner's getting cold."

Benjamin understood and ushered Sophia back into the dining room. Caroline picked up Gerald's plate and took it through to the kitchen.

Sophia looked up at her husband as they heard a smash. Benjamin gave her a guarded look. Another topic to ignore now. His father.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gene looked up as Molly arrived.

Molly beamed at Alex and Gene, she placed the bag of bits and bobs by the foot of Gene's chair and went to give her Mother a hug. She then went to Gene and kissed his cheek and then Sam's too.

"I brought the Christmas presents over," she informed them as she dug in the bag and handed them out, placing Gene and Sam's on the table, seeing as Gene's hands were busy.

Alex frowned.

"Those are the ones I got," she said.

Molly grinned. "Mum, you need new hiding places, I've known where these have been for weeks!"

Alex rolled her eyes as Molly finished taking everything out of the bag and sat on the bed.

Gene put Sam down in the cot and went to get Molly a cup of tea.

Gene came back with tea for Molly and sat back down.

"So, did you have a good night? I expect Rowan cooked you breakfast. Could have brought some with you," he teased.

Molly took her tea from him with a word of thanks and a smile.

"I bring presents and you want food!" she teased back. "Ungrateful," she smiled and threw a screwed up ball of wrapping paper at him.

"The presents are nice, of course, love, but a bit more than croissants for breakfast would not go amiss. The food here is terrible," he remarked as he batted aside the paper and grinned at her.

Molly rolled her eyes.

"It's a hospital Gene, not a restaurant. You can't expect food that's above average," she grinned back. "But, I can always make some buttermilk biscuits if you'd like," she offered. "I've nearly perfected them."

Gene watched Alex and Molly visit. Occasionally he got up and wandered or went to smoke.

"So, are they ever going to say when you can leave here? Do you want me to stay here tonight or take Molly home? It's getting on and if nothing else, Molly and I should go eat when they bring your food," he remarked.

Alex looked up from the chocolate she had opened from Molly and the yellow baby clothes.

"You don't have to stay here. The food's better at home and anyway, somebody needs to keep an eye on her," she nodded at Molly with a smile. "I should be out soon, no exact date yet, but I'll pester until they tell me," she assured him.

"Surely they can't want to keep you here too long. I mean, you're done," he said. "I'll have a talk with someone. Molly, you get everything together. I'll go find someone to talk to and then we'll go see about finding some place to eat."

He gave Alex a swift kiss on the cheek and left. He found the nurse and turned on the charm. He came back inside brimming with good cheer.

"You can go home tomorrow," he told her. "As long as you and him don't have any problems tonight, you can leave in the morning," he told her and rubbed his hands together.

Molly set about gathering up all the ripped wrapping paper and mess and stuffed it into a bin bag and then into the bin in the room. She kissed Alex's cheek and gave her a one armed hug, she took Sam from her mum as Gene came back.

Alex held out her arms to Gene as Sam was taken away and gave Gene a 'please' look.

Gene went over and hugged Alex and chuckled in her ear.

"Any excuse to touch you, woman, you should know," he grinned at her as he pulled away. "Call when you're ready to leave and I'll pick you up."

He stood and thought for a moment. "We should see about getting you your own car. Having a car seat in the Quattro, that's just blasphemy," he teased. He gave her quick kiss and jumped away to avoid any slaps.

"Let's go, kiddo," he said to Molly and strode from the room.

Alex beamed up at him and rolled her eyes. She waved them both off and looked back over at Sam. Molly had put him back in his cot before she had left. By his breathing she could tell that he was asleep.

Alex was grateful for the book that Molly had had the foresight to bring one for her. At least she was going home tomorrow. That was something at least.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Molly followed Gene out of the hospital with a wave at her mum as she left.

"So, where do you want to go eat or is there stuff to cook at home?" he asked as they got outside. He lit up and smoked as they walked to the car.

Molly shrugged.

"I stayed at Rowan's, but I didn't check the fridge when I went home for a shower," she sighed.

"If we go home we can always order in if we have to," she looked over at him. "And you've slept in those clothes. In fact you've been wearing them for almost 3 days," she teased.

"Someone's a little stinky," she grinned.

Gene glared at Molly and mumbled something about mouthy females. He drove them home and hurriedly and gladly took a shower while Molly inspected the kitchen.

Molly rifled through the fridge. They had basics. Pasta, tinned tomatoes, beef mince, vegetables, bread, cheese, soup etc. then of course, baking stuff for her to practice with. She made sure there was a never-ending supply of flour, butter, milk, eggs and sugar.

She chewed her lip as she wondered about what they could have. Pasta was the obvious choice.

Gene came back out of the bathroom in clean clothes and got a beer from the fridge.

"So, anything?" he asked Molly after taking a long drink.

"Pasta, tomatoes, veg and other stuff," she shrugged.

Gene glanced at his watch. "Well, if you don't want to cook we can always go to the pub. I think it's open now."

Molly rolled her eyes. Pub. Typical. She shrugged.

"I don't mind. Pasta is quick and easy. But I don't mind going to the pub either," she replied indifferently.

Gene sighed and found himself rolling his eyes.

"Do you want to cook or not?" he huffed.

Molly raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"Not."

"Why don't you see if your mate Whitney wants to meet up with you there," he suggested and went to the bedroom to pull on his boots.

Molly nodded and fired off a text to Whitney saying she was going to the pub then went and ran a brush through her hair and grabbed her coat.

/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Gerald drove in silence as he listened to the light hearted banter on Radio 4. He tapped his steering wheel. The motorway was unusually deserted. At this time of day it was usually chocablock. Gridlocked. But no. Not on Christmas Day.

He pulled off the Motorway into a service station. He was gasping for a cup of tea and a cigarette. He parked the car, got out, lit up and took a long, slow drag. He wondered at Alyssa's reaction to him just turning up out of the blue. 6 months since he last saw his daughter. 6 months of enduring his wife's foul behaviour. He stamped out his cigarette and got a cup of tea to go. He needed to see Alyssa as soon as possible.

Gerald pulled up in Walford and parked outside the pub. He sighed and lit up again, now he was here, he wasn't sure he knew what to say to her, it was Christmas. He had already ruined Christmas at home, he wasn't sure that he wanted to ruin Christmas down here too. He turned the radio off, one of those stupid comedy programs going on, light-hearted talk about nothing. He wasn't in the mood for that. Not now. He scanned the Square, pub was closed it seemed, lights on upstairs and glimpses of figures were easily seen in the window, people he didn't quite recognise, but somehow found familiar. He looked over in the other direction. Last time he was here, this place had been so busy. Buzzing. A hive. Now it was empty, a few clusters making their way here and there. Chatting and laughing. Celebrating.

He looked around again and his gaze fell on the place that Alyssa lived. That flat. He watched it intently, waiting for some sign of life.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

Ronnie sighed as they finally got outside. She adjusted her coat and then glanced back at Ray before heading in the direction of the flat. She kept forcing herself to unclench her teeth. She knew the questions would start soon. She unlocked the door and hauled herself up the stairs, her stomach churning. She moved to the flat as fast as she could and fumbled the key into the lock and rushed to the bathroom. She slammed the door just before leaning over the toilet and getting sick. She stood a moment to make sure she was done and then rinsed her face and brushed her teeth.

She dried her face slowly, trying to shake the tension. She hung the towel back on the rail and came out of the bathroom.

Ray walked along next to her passively. He was a little alarmed when she went to throw up. He cringed as he heard her retching and got her a glass of water. He knew that women got morning sickness when they were pregnant. But it was afternoon. He sighed. He knew so little about her condition. He didn't know what to expect from her. He looked up from the sink as he heard her come out of the bathroom and went over to her. He handed her the glass of water and looked at her, he was concerned. Surely randomly throwing up like that was abnormal?

"Are you alright, Ron?" he asked as he studied her.

She took the glass of water and nodded.

"I'm fine, something from dinner didn't agree with me," she said blandly and drank the water. She put her crutches against the wall and pulled off the pashmina and her coat and went to hang them up. She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. "I'm fine," she repeated.

She went over to the couch and sat down.

Ray watched her with a sigh. Something was up, the wrong sort of up. He fell down onto the couch next to her and watched her silently. He frowned.

"What's wrong, Ronnie?" he asked softly

Ronnie looked at Ray curiously.

"Nothing, my stomach is just a bit upset is all."

She sighed and pulled her feet up onto the couch. She pulled the necklace out of her pocket and put it on the coffee table with a small sigh. "Sometimes, I cannot believe Phil's nerve."

Ray looked at the necklace and picked it up off the table. He examined it closely. Phil hadn't damaged it too much. Just the clasp. Easily replaced. He sighed and placed it down on the table again.

"Has he ever tried rehab?"

Ronnie snorted.

"Never happen," she frowned. "Not Phil," she said, her tone nasty and rolled her eyes. She dropped her chin onto her knees.

Ray kept his gaze fixed on her and sighed. He placed a gentle hand on her back and watched her intently. He wasn't sure what to say. He didn't really know what was wrong. He thought that a hug might help, it usually did. But she didn't seem in the mood for one of his hugs right now.

"Ronnie..." he began. Then stopped, unable to find the words. He sighed again and scratched his forehead.

"Ron, about what Phil said..." he tried again then stopped mid-sentence once more. He didn't know what to say to her

"What about what Phil said?" she asked curiously and looked at him. She felt her blood run cold and she straightened up and tilted her head at him.

Ray frowned slightly and shook his head.

"I..." he was beginning to get frustrated with himself. Why couldn't he just come out and say it. Ask her. He knew why. He didn't want it to be true and he didn't want to hurt her. Too late. He had started now. Man up.

"I know what you went through with Jack and everything with Danielle, but Ronnie, I need to know whether... I mean, did you..." he sighed and waved a hand in the air signalling his defeat. Words were failing him.

She felt her jaw drop.

"You...you what...you think I tricked you? You think I made this happen? After everything," she broke off and looked away. "How can you think that? I thought you trusted me. I thought you believed in me and you don't. You're no better than my family. A few words from drunk Phil and that's it."

Her face twisted as the tears fell.

"How could you ask me that. I promised you, Ray, I promised. I've tried to prove that you can trust me and you throw it back in my face," she shrieked, her voice shrill.

"You BASTARD!" She snapped as she stood up, grabbed the necklace off the coffee table and threw it at him.

"I never lied to you, Ray, NEVER!"

She limped around the coffee table and pointed at the door. "Go, I want you to leave, now."

"Get out! Get out! Get out!" she screamed.

Ray untangled himself from the necklace. He had never seen her in such a state. He wanted to wrap his as around her and hold her until she calmed down but one look at her face told him that it wasn't going to happen.

"Ronnie, I'm sorry. I just needed to know. I'm sorry" he said as he made his way to the door and grabbed his coat from the hook. He didn't like leaving her. She was kicking him out. Had she chucked him? He felt angry tears form in his eyes and he brushed them away furiously. He was angry at himself for doubting her. Believing her pissed cousin. How stupid could you get?

Ronnie dropped to the couch and buried her face in a cushion. How could he think such things? She pounded on the couch with her fist. She got up and walked into the kitchen, wincing at the pain in her ankle, but not caring. She pulled the canister of tea from the cupboard and threw it against the wall.

Every promise she'd kept, every time she'd told him the whole bald truth, no matter how much it hurt, and he doubted her. The one person she thought believed in her, because of something someone else had done. She screamed in frustration and slid to the floor, her body heaving with great braying sobs.

She began to wish she'd never got pregnant.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Gerald looked up as he spotted someone that he definitely recognized. That woman that Alyssa was friends with, and her bloke. Rowan. The one that had been in the paper. He looked in the direction she had come from and caught a flash of red as the door shut. Alyssa. He stunned out his cigarette as he got out of the car and made his way over to the house, slowly.

Gerald climbed up the steps to the house and rang the bell.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Rowan wandered into the park in the middle of the Square and sat on a bench. She pulled her feet up and wrapped her arms around her legs. She wondered idly if she should see if the pub was open. She was sure a lot of people would be heading there after they'd finished dinner for some holiday cheer. She put her chin on her knees. She wasn't sure she was in the mood for a crowd. She lit another cigarette and stared at the tree.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Chris walked into the station and nodded at the PC behind the desk. He went into Gene's office and lay down on the couch in the meeting room. He had a good three hours before he was on. A nap was a good idea. He stuck his hands behind his head and wondered if he shouldn't talk to someone about Rowan. He could call Junior, maybe Junior could get Gem to come and talk on the phone. He was at a loss. He missed her laid back attitude and spontaneity. He had tried to tell her, to explain but she hadn't seemed to understand. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Alyssa smiled.

"The salon doesn't open again until after new year. I am officially on holiday until the 2nd of January," she grinned. "Roxy decided to extend the time we had until we had to go back after Christmas," she informed him.

She frowned as the bell rang. She looked at Jack and sighed.

"I'll get it shall I?" she smiled at him as she handed him her glass and stood. She padded along to the front door and opened it. Her eyes widened at the sight of her Dad on the doorstep.

Gerald relaxed and tensed as Alyssa opened the door. On the one hand he was glad that it was her that he had seen and it was she that opened the door. On the other hand he had no idea how she was going to react. Alyssa gaped at her Dad for a few moments before either of them spoke.

"Can I come in Alyssa?" he asked cautiously as he took a step closer to her.

Jack got up and followed idly behind Alyssa. His eyes widened at the sight of Alyssa's father standing there. He put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a brief squeeze.

"I think we can let him in," he said softly.

Alyssa looked at her Dad as he stood just inside her home. She kept her face calm and just looked, waiting for him to make the first move. She wasn't going to rush into his arms. No, he had to make the first move.

Gerald sighed as he looked at his daughter. She had moved house within the last 6 months. He noted the glittering ring on her finger. This time she was engaged, and by the concerned look on her bloke's face she had chosen someone who loved her.

"Alyssa," he began and looked up at her face. "Can I talk to you please sweetheart?"

Alyssa contemplated her Dad for a moment. She took a deep breath and let it out then nodded slowly. She was curious. He was clearly here without her Mum. That was a plus: she was in no mood to argue with her mum again. She gestured to the kitchen and stood back to let him go first.

Gerald walked cautiously through her home. He knew that after his behaviour the last time he had met her bloke, Jack, if his memory served him right, that the guy had every reason to be hostile towards him but for some reason he seemed more accepting this time. At least Alyssa was willing to talk to him.

Alyssa shut the door behind her and leant against it as she faced her Dad. She waited.

Jack looked at Alyssa's dad for a moment, then went into the kitchen and switched on the kettle. He folded his arms as he waited and listened.

Realising that she wasn't going to talk, Gerald decided to go ahead and ask her what he had told Caroline he had come here for.

"Your mother..." he looked up as Alyssa visibly stiffened but continued. "I'd like to know what you said to her Alyssa, she's been..." he struggled to find the words "Well, cold."

Alyssa let out a sharp bark of sarcastic laughter.

"Because usually she's the definition of warm and fuzzy isn't she!"

Gerald sighed. "You know what I mean Alyssa. Colder than usual," he paused and looked out of the window. "I need to know what you said to cause that change in her. She was fine before she took you aside."

Alyssa sighed and leant off the door. She loved her Dad when he wasn't around her mum. When he was with her Mum, he was Caroline's puppet. Part of the mask. Yet, when he was free of her, Saturday mornings when Caroline was out, he seemed to transform. A different personality.

"I told her I was happy. Here. Without her. Without her and you," she admitted as she refused to look at him.

Gerald softened as he watched his daughter. He had forgotten how sensitive she could be. But she said she was happy, he knew she hadn't been especially happy at home. But they were selfish enough to want their daughter back, no matter how she felt about it.

"Are you?"

Alyssa nodded silently.

Gerald sighed as he considered her.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Alyssa frowned and looked up. Confused.

"Your wrist," he clarified and gestured to her arm.

Alyssa nodded as she understood. "I'm fine"

"I know," he smiled. "I'm proud of you, Alyssa."

She looked up again. "Excuse me?"

"I am. You've blossomed into a lovely young woman, you've done your own thing."

She scoffed at that. "You didn't want me to do my own thing. You wanted me to be the submissive little daughter. Does as you say with no arguments or complaint."

Gerald shook his head. "That was how your mother expected you to be. I saw the defiance in you since you were tiny."

"Then why..."

"Because I'm a fool. I chose to follow your mother's rules and disregarded you. I tried to help mould you and stamp out the rebellion."

She scowled.

"And I'm sorry for that, too."

"Dad..."

He let out a low chuckle. He grinned at her and the puzzlement that covered her face.

"She was fuming. I stormed out," he laughed. "And Sophia's face when I said your name. She was horrified."

Alyssa smiled. This was the Dad she loved.

"She banned my name."

"Any mention of you," he confirmed.

Alyssa smiled and shook her head. "I guessed she would."

He nodded. "Now, this time, can I have a proper hug?"

She grinned and stepped into his embrace. Burying her face into his jumper, inhaling his comforting smell of scotch, tobacco and peppermint.

Gerald enclosed his arms around her and smiled happily. He let go the second she started to pull away. He brushed her hair behind her ear.

Jack listened as he quietly made tea, his lips curved into a small smile.

He quickly made the tea and walked out with three cups of tea. He put the tray on the coffee table and when Alyssa let go of her father, he handed her a cup of tea. He picked up his tea and handed the other to her father, with a gesture at the milk and sugar on the tray.

He glanced from Alyssa to her father, unsure of what to say.

Gerald took the mug with a curt nod at Jack. He looked the younger man up and down curiously. He hadn't paid too much attention the last time he was here. His mind had been focused on other matters. He stretched out a hand to him cordially.

"I think our introduction last time we met was less than friendly," he said as he looked at Jack. "I'd like to try it again if you don't mind."

Alyssa cradled her mug, grateful for the heat it provided. She raised an eyebrow at her Dad, but stayed silent as she watched her fiancé and her father. She was intrigued.

"I'm willing," Jack said and shook her father's hand.

"There's still food left over from dinner if you're hungry," Jack offered. "We're still walking around so I haven't poisoned anyone with my cooking," he remarked dryly and took the tray back into the kitchen.

Alyssa rolled her eyes with a small chuckle.

Gerald shook his head.

"I ate before I left and stopped on the motorway," he told them.

"Motorway food, yum," Jack remarked dryly. "Mind you, my cooking probably isn't much better. I don't care if Rowan did say it was good."

Gerald turned back to Alyssa and took her left hand in his. He studied the ring for a moment then met her questioning gaze.

"Congratulations," he said softly and smiled at her.

Gerald looked up as Jack came back in.

"Congratulations on your engagement," he said light-heartedly. "You do have my permission to marry her," he nodded at Jack.

Jack grinned at Gerald's comment.

"Well, that's good to know," he said as he picked up his tea. "I think Rowan was ready to beat me if I hadn't done it soon."

Alyssa chuckled again and took a large gulp of her tea. She frowned as a thought hit her.

"How long are you here for Dad?"

Gerald turned to his daughter and shrugged.

"Until I feel ready to face your mother," he admitted. He wasn't going back up to Birmingham until he was positive that he could handle his wife. And her cold, passive exterior.

Alyssa nodded slowly as she studied him over the rim of her mug.

"Where are you staying?" she asked curiously.

"I'm going to book into the B&B where we stayed last time."

Jack glanced at Alyssa. They had room. He gave her the slightest nod when she met his gaze to let her know he didn't mind if she asked her father to stay with them.

Alyssa raised her eyebrows at Jack and smiled happily at him. She moved her gaze back to Gerald and smiled.

"We've got a spare room here, if you want it? It saves forking out for the B&B," she said.

Gerald looked at her, he was a little surprised. He hadn't expected that. He looked at Jack's face. He didn't seem to mind. He nodded.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

Alyssa nodded and placed her tea on the table.

"Is your stuff in the car? If you're staying then you might as well unpack now," she said with a small shrug.

Gerald nodded and drained his mug. He grinned at her and kissed her forehead before heading back outside to move his car and get his things.

Alyssa watched him go and went over to Jack. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. He seems different somehow. I'll go help him," Jack said and went outside.

"Need any help?" Jack asked as he lit up a cigarette and watched Alyssa's father rummage in his car.

Alyssa nodded and ran upstairs to check the spare room. It was clean and tidy and hadn't been used since the last time Rowan and Chris had stayed over. She looked it over again then left the door open as she went downstairs and looked out of the door.

Gerald shook his head at Jack as he pulled his bag out. He shut the boot and locked the car with a flick of his keys.

"Haven't got much," he shrugged and walked back up to the front door and smiled at Alyssa.

"Come on, then. Take me to my room," he grinned.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\

Jack nodded and watched him go inside. He finished his cigarette and dropped it in the can outside the door before going back inside.

He really had no idea what to do with Alyssa's dad here. He wondered if they should go to the pub. He went back inside and waited for Alyssa in the kitchen.

"Should we go to the pub or something?" he asked her.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Gerald followed her upstairs and took in the upstairs of her home. He noted the two shut doors and one open. A bathroom. The other open door was the one he was led to. His room. He placed his bag in the centre of the bed as Alyssa left him to it and went back downstairs.

Alyssa leant against the counter top and shrugged with a sigh.

"I don't know. To be honest I'm still trying to get over the shock of him turning up," she looked over at him. "Without Mum."

She sat herself up on the counter and looked at her feet as she swung them back and forth.

"He's always different when Mum's not around. It's like he's got a split personality or something. Then she comes sweeping in and he changes back to how you saw him before."

"Do you think there's any chance she'll turn up?" he asked her quietly. "You know, since you're persona non grata and all," he paused. "Ffion's back soon you know."

Alyssa shook her head.

"I doubt mum'll show up. According to her I don't exist, and seeing as Dad walked out I reckon she feels the same about him."

She nodded at Jack's comment about Ffion. "I know. I am going to have to talk to her," she sighed.

"I'm more worried about your dad. You don't think he'll find her a bit...much?"

Jack started making more tea. "I hope her brother has spoken to her about the other stuff. At least she doesn't bring it home with her."

Alyssa looked up sharply. She hadn't thought about her Dad's reaction to Ffion.

"I'll tell him we've got a lodger. Explain what she's like. Warn him," she smiled.

"I'm glad she doesn't bring them all home. Having strange men in the house when I wake up is not a comfortable thought," she said as she passed him the milk from out the fridge. "I do worry about her though. She doesn't know anything about these guys except they are up for it. They could be psychopaths."

Jack rubbed his face and nodded.

"I think she's back in the morning. I imagine Rhys and Shaz have to get back to work."

He glanced over, keeping an eye out for Alyssa's dad.

"We can ask if he wants to go to the pub."

Alyssa nodded. She looked up and listened for movement upstairs. A steady shuffling sound.

"Introduce him to everyone? No doubt they will all be down there by now," she replied glancing at the clock on the oven.

"Couldn't hurt. Rowan might have gone over there, with Chris working and all, you know how she feels about being alone. Besides, I think I could do with a drink," he finished with a grin.

Alyssa nodded with a smile and looked up as she heard the careful sound of footsteps on the stairs. She smiled as Gerald came into view.

"We're going to go down the pub, Dad."

Gerald nodded. "Do you mind if I tag along? I'd like to get to know Walford a little better."

Alyssa nodded. "Sure," she hopped off the counter and made her way back into the hall to grab her coat and shoes.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Peggy went downstairs and opened the pub. She smiled at Tracy and went upstairs to let Roxy know the pub was open.

"Tracy is here, darling, so you can just relax up here. I'll let you know if we need any help," Peggy told her.

Rowan got up and went into the pub. For now, it wouldn't be busy. She smiled at Tracy and ordered lemonade with a shot of vodka, then went outside with her drink and lit up a cigarette.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Jane, Christian, Syed and Peter decided to go to the pub after they finished dinner. Jane sat outside and chatted with Rowan for a few minutes.

"Can I buy you a drink, Rowan?"

"Sure, Jane, thanks," Rowan said and followed Jane inside. People were already starting to make their way to the pub. Rowan chatted with Jane for a bit while she drank down the drink Jane had bought her and then decided it was probably time to go home to her empty flat. She glanced at her watch. Chris would likely be getting ready to start work soon. She sighed.

"I should go, Jane, but thanks for the drink," she stood up. "You know, I'll be opening for a few hours tomorrow, doing a brunch buffet if you want to come round."

"I think I just might," Jane said with a smile.

Rowan went outside for another cigarette. She should go back and talk to Alyssa. She pulled out her phone and then put it away with a sigh.

/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\

Ray made a beeline for the pub. Beer. Get himself bladdered. Sleep it off. Forget that he had hurt her. Mind you, the pub was where her family was. He didn't want the questions. He changed his route and was glad the shop was open. Ray got himself a 12 pack of beer and sat himself down in the park and drained a can before picking up another.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Rowan turned and felt her mouth fall open as she saw Ray walk towards the park carrying a bag. She felt a cold chill at the look of him. Something had gone horribly wrong. She hurried over and saw him toss aside a can and fish another out of the bag. She shook her head. No, not good.

She hurried over and grabbed the bag from him.

"Ray, Ray, what is going on?" she hissed and sat down next to him. She put the bag on the ground next to the bench where he couldn't reach and grabbed the front of his coat to make him look at her. "Ray, talk to me."

She didn't like the feel of this, not at all. Not when she knew Ronnie was pregnant.

Ray scowled at Rowan. He made a grab for the bag and threw his empty can blindly in the direction of the bin.

"Give the bag back, Rowan," he growled as he tried to reach around her for the bag of booze. God she had a strong grip.

"Let go of me, Ro," he sighed as he took her hands and tried to prise them off his jacket. He wanted his beer. He wanted to forget about Ronnie and how much he had hurt her for a few hours.

Rowan stood up and glared at Ray. She grabbed the beer and put it behind her back and leaned close to him and caught his gaze.

"You will not do this here. You come with me now or I'll call Chris and have him lock you up, your choice," she said, her tone low. She grabbed his sleeve and took a step back.

Ray scowled at her and grudgingly rose to his feet, using the bench for support.

"Now give me the beer," he grumbled and held out his hand.

"When we get to the flat," she told him and grabbed his hand and began to walk off. She had to get him out of here while he was functional. She'd call Chris when she got home, after she'd had a talk with Ray and found out what was going on.

Ray grumbled as she pulled him along down the street. He didn't want to talk about it. He wanted to drink himself into oblivion.

Rowan dragged him to the restaurant. She hoped the walk had been long enough for him to clear his head a bit. She unlocked the door, pushed him inside and locked the door. She stalked past him and led him upstairs to the flat.

"You can hang your coat there," she said and pointed at the hooks she'd had Chris put up by the door of the flat. She shut and locked the flat door. She put Ray's beer in the fridge and handed him one.

"Sit, talk," she said as she pointed at the couch.

Ray collapsed onto her sofa and took the beer from her. He gulped down half and sighed. He frowned.

"I don't want to talk," he snapped as he idly played with the half empty can.

Rowan took a beer for herself and folded herself onto her knees on the sofa next to him, facing him. She looked at him, concern etched on her face. She put her arm on the back of the sofa and propped her head on her fist as she watched him.

He would talk, she could wait. She reached down and opened one of the drawers in the coffee table and pulled out an ashtray. She then broke her own rule as she pulled out her cigarettes and lit one up. She always smoked more when she was upset. She held the pack out to him silently. She wanted to cry he looked so miserable.

She took another drink of the beer she'd grabbed for herself and put it on the coffee table.

Ray glanced at the packet. It had been a while since he had a cigarette. He took one out, borrowed her lighter and lit it. He took a deep drag and exhaled slowly. That felt good. But he still felt shit. Really shit. He gulped down the rest of his beer in one gulp and placed the can on the table.

He stared in from of him at the window and watched the lights of the cars on the road as they drove past. London never slept. Or never seemed to sleep.

"She's kicked me out," he finally mumbled.

Rowan put her hand over her mouth. Oh no. She went and got him another beer. She had no idea what to say to that. She blew out a long breath and handed him the beer. She pulled off her boots and put them behind the couch. She sat on the sofa again with her legs folded under her.

She toyed with the hem of her dress and looked up at him.

"I'm so sorry, Ray," she whispered. She was at a loss what to say. "You can have JT's room as long as you need it. He doesn't stay here anymore really. He shows up in the morning and leaves when we're done for the day. Chris will be on nights for another two weeks at least, I don't think he'll mind. He'd want me to let you stay," she knew she was babbling a bit but she couldn't stop. She took a long drag off her cigarette to shut herself up.

She put her cigarette out and looked back at him again with a sigh.

Ray accepted the beer and took a another long gulp. He wanted to be drunk: Pissed out of his skull, but every-time he took a sip he felt more and more miserable. He grunted in annoyance and nodded at Rowan.

"Ta."

He drank down the rest of the alcohol and tried not to let himself feel. He didn't want to remind himself how empty he felt. He needed to fill that void and booze wasn't working. He needed something else.

Rowan felt completely helpless. If she and Chris hadn't been fighting, she might be able to say something, something that would help. But her mind was blank. She couldn't fix her own relationship.

At least with Ray here she wasn't alone, whether he spoke or not she didn't care. There was another person in the flat. She propped her arm on the back of the sofa again and leaned her head against her hand. She rubbed her forehead with two fingers and began to toy with the hem of her dress again.

"You can tell me. It might help," she said, unable to keep the worry from her voice. She reached over and patted his hand. She might not be able to think of anything helpful to say, but she could listen.

Ray looked down at her hand and shook his head.

"Talking about it involves having to think about it" he said as he slipped his hand into hers and held it, a source of comfort for him and hopefully reassurance for her. He didn't want to think about her reaction.

"Why do I always muck everything up Ro?" he asked desperately.

Rowan shook her head sadly and squeezed his hand. She lifted her head and looked at Ray.

"You're not the only one," she whispered. "Chris took those night shifts to get away from me. I screwed up and he doesn't want me anymore."

She looked away again and sighed.

"You don't have to tell me anything, but I'll listen if you need to. I just...I don't think I'm going to have any useful advice," she admitted. She slipped her hand from his and stood up. She walked around the couch, stopping behind Ray and leaning over to give him a quick squeeze.

"I have to change, I'll be right back," she said softly. She stood back up and patted his shoulder. She walked into the kitchen and threw her empty can away before going into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

She pulled off the dress and leaned against the bureau. A few tears slipped down her cheeks. She couldn't cry, not now. How could she help Ray if she was a blubbering fool? She sniffed and wiped at her eyes with a sigh.

Ray didn't register her words. Alcohol was clouding his mind. He knew one thing though, he wanted Rowan. Now. Her. He drank back the rest of the beer in a gulp and stubbed out his cigarette in the ash tray on the table. He ran a hand through his hair and went into the bedroom.

Rowan jumped as she heard the door to the bedroom open and clutched her dress to her chest.

He watched Rowan as she turned around and he walked over to her. His hands found her face and his mouth landed on hers. He kissed her needily.

She took a step back as she saw him walking towards her but the dresser was right behind her. Then his mouth was on hers. Rowan's eyes went wide. She put a hand against his chest and pushed at him gently as she broke off the kiss.

"Ray, what..." she began and stopped, unable to continue. He was standing so close. She shivered, trying to ignore her state of undress as she held her dress tightly, trying to make sure it covered her.

She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again as her breath began to come faster. She closed her mouth, licked her lips and swallowed hard as she slowly moved her hand up from his chest to rest on his cheek and swiftly pulled it away again and dropped it ineffectively to her side.

Ray took her hand that she had dropped and moulded it to his cheek. He looked down at her and took her face in both of his hands again.

"Ro, please" he mumbled as he moved his face closer down to hers again.

Rowan stared at him. Chris didn't want her. Ronnie didn't want him. They'd both been tossed aside. She dropped her hand that had been clutching the dress and tossed the dress aside and hesitantly pressed her lips to his.

She took one of his hands from her face and put it on her waist before putting her hand that had been holding the dress around his neck and kissing him hard.

Ray groaned and pulled her body right up close to his as his hand buried itself in her hair. Part of him knew this was wrong, that if he wanted Ronnie back then this was the wrong way of going about it. Also, this was his best mate's wife. Everything screamed wrong. But the feel of her in his arms felt so right.

He gently eased her around towards the bed and moved with her until the backs of her legs hit the mattress.

Rowan wound her arms tightly around his neck. She hadn't been held in so long. She knew she should stop but she couldn't. It felt so good to be held, to be touched. She moved her hands to the bottom of his jumper and pulled it off.

She slid her hands over his bare chest and down until they reached his waist. She paused and broke off the kiss and looked up at him. She unfastened his belt and jeans as she held his gaze and pushed his jeans down. She reached up and unfastened her bra and slipped it off before putting her hands back on his waist.

Ray eased her backwards onto the bed and looked down at her carefully. He let go of her and reached around his back for her hands and moved them up so they were around his neck rather than his waist. He pressed his lips to hers again. His body told him that he needed this. His mind was confounded. He wasn't sure what was going on in his head so focused on his body and what it was telling him.

He slowly broke off the kiss and moved his hands down to her breasts, watching her face. Then moved them down lower, ghosting over her skin until he reached the elastic of her knickers. He searched her face again.

Rowan's breath came faster as his hands ran over her flesh. It felt so good. She moaned softly and met his gaze steadily as she moved her hands from his neck, slowly over his chest and to his back and his waist. She slid her hands into his boxers, pushing them off and slipping her hand around him. She gently stroked her fingers over the hardness of him.

She moved her other hand up to his neck and pulled him to her and brushed her lips against his. She pushed aside her guilt. For tonight, at least, she wouldn't be alone and lonely. She would be held and touched and wanted.

Ray's head dropped and he groaned as she touched him, he felt her brush her lips against his and he moved a hand back to her head and held her face to his as he kissed her properly, a low growl escaping him. He broke the kiss, his breathing coming fast as he looked at her again, his hand left her head and ghosted over her body once more until he found the waistband of her knickers. He looked at her face as he carefully slipped them off her and kissed her gently once more.

Rowan felt his lust wash over her and she closed her eyes and softly sighed as she felt her control slip away. She took her hand from him long enough to grab his hand and move it between her legs.

She wrapped her hand firmly around him again and began to stroke him, exploring the hardness of him with her fingers. She briefly intensified the kiss before breaking it off and moving her lips to his neck.

Her breath was harsh in her throat as she grazed her teeth along the soft flesh of his neck and then traced the same path with her lips up to his ear, taking his earlobe in her mouth. She moaned softly into his ear before sliding her hand into his hair and gently pulling his head to her chest.

Ray moaned and stroked her in the place where she had placed his hand. He let her manoeuvre him to where she wanted him to be. He lathered his attention over her breasts as she pulled his head down to her chest.

Rowan let out a small cry and writhed beneath him. She twined her hands into his hair.

"Oh, yes, Ray," she whispered, the feel of his hands and lips on her flesh making her want more. She moved her hands to his face and gently made him look at her. She panted for breath as his hand worked between her legs.

"Take me," she gasped out and dropped her head back as his hand pushed her to the edge.

Ray grunted and moved her legs further apart, he leant his face down and kissed her hard as he thrust himself inside her and held her face to his as he buried one hand in her hair.

Rowan broke off the kiss and gasped out a strangled cry as he thrust into her. She couldn't stop moaning, crying out, he was overwhelming. She arched under him desperately, meeting his thrusts as she begged for more. She couldn't think anymore, his need, her need, it was too much, she was lost.

Ray nuzzled his head into her neck and planted feverish kisses on her bare skin as he groaned. He slid his hands up and down her body, then took hold of her hips and tilted her so he had a better angle.

Rowan ran her hands over his back and arms. She had to admit, he was magnificent. She cried out again, she was getting close. She felt his hands holding her hips and a smile played across her mouth. Rowan brought her leg up, but instead of winding it around his hip, she moved it all the way up and rested her leg against his chest and shoulder, giving him the angle he wanted. Her head dropped back on the pillows and she cried out his name again as she began to shudder beneath him.

Ray's eyes widened as her leg swung over his shoulder. He hadn't expected that. Not at all. He slid a hand up her leg in awe and then back down as he dropped his gaze to look at her. He shrugged and accepted it as he dipped his head back down and kissed her. He groaned as he felt his release and rested his head on her shoulder as he let her name spill from him in a long, low moan.

Rowan cried out his name and dug her fingers into his shoulders as his coming triggered her own. She jerked beneath him and slid her leg back down as she wound her arms around him. She tried desperately to catch her breath as she held him tight.

Ray closed his eyes and let his breathing slow to a more normal speed as he came down from his high. He pulled a little away from her as he pushed his body off hers and looked down at her. He smiled weakly and rolled off her onto the bed. He felt extraordinarily sleepy. He took her hand and smiled at her again.

Rowan rolled onto her side and looked at him. She hadn't expected that. She hesitantly moved over to him and laid her head on his chest and slid her arm around him.

Ray raised an eyebrow at her, but encircled her waist with one of his arms, holding her in place as he fell asleep.

Rowan held herself still as she felt him fall asleep, then relaxed. She hadn't expected him to be so gentle, not after the way he'd grabbed her and kissed her. She couldn't have refused him, not after the way he'd said please and she was so tired of being alone and ignored. She closed her eyes and felt tears burn down her cheeks.

Why couldn't she have this with Chris again? She had tried. But his certainty that she would be cold and controlling again had been more than she could bear. His body hadn't even responded to her touch. She ran a finger down Ray's chest and belly and farther and watched as he began to twitch and harden. She took her hand away. She didn't want to wake him.

But Ray's tenderness had undone her. She'd expected him to be more...rough...nearly savage... He hadn't been. She reluctantly admitted that she wanted more. She shivered and realized she was cold. They were on top of the covers. She sighed and edged away from him. She got up and folded the covers back on one side of the bed, then climbed onto the bed and carefully encouraged him to move. She pulled the covers over him when he finally shifted. She turned off the bedroom light, climbed back into the bed and cuddled up next to him again before pulling the covers over herself.

She closed her eyes and let herself drift. She'd be awake in a couple of hours whether she wanted to be or not.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\

Whitney read Molly's text and grinned. Just what she needed.

She hurriedly texted back. "Lifesaver-c u there!" and went to pull on her shoes.

Whitney ran to the pub excitedly. She grinned at Jane and Peter and ordered a vodka tonic from Tracy. She got her drink and sat down next to Jane.

"Molly's on her way over," she said with a grin and took a sip of her drink.


	5. Chapter 5

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 5**

Gene drove himself and Molly to the pub. He swung out of the car and strode inside and ordered a pint. Whitney waved at Molly when she saw Molly walk in.

Molly followed him inside and grinned as she went over to Whitney.

"How's Christmas going?"

Whitney sighed. "Loud! I was glad to get out of there."

"How's yours going, Molly? How's your mum and the baby?" Peter asked.

Molly nodded.

"Sam's good, Mum's fine and they are both home tomorrow," she smiled. "How was it with Jane, Christian and Syed?"

"I had a good time," Jane said with a grin. She winked at them and got up.

"I'll leave you guys to chat," she said and went over to sit with her brother and Syed.

"It was good actually," Peter replied. "Dad went to America to see Ben for the holiday. Lucy hasn't called or anything which is a bit of a surprise. I sent her a gift but I guess she can't be bothered to say thank you."

He shrugged.

Molly grinned at Jane and watched her go.

"Take it she didn't send you anything?" Molly sighed. His sister was such a bitch.

"Yeah, she sent me a card with some money. I thought about trying to go and see her, maybe tomorrow, but no. Dad did say Fatboy can stay, though. I guess that's something. I don't know how long he's going to be in America for. I think he's avoiding Phil. Phil's drinking again and he's really mean when he's drunk," Peter said quietly.

Whitney shook her head. "That's just insane," she remarked.

Molly nodded curiously. She knew who Phil was. She had seen him around a couple of times, not a lot, but still. She knew who he was.

"So, how was Christmas in the mad house?" she grinned at Whitney.

"Mad!" she replied with a chuckle. "I was so glad to get out of there," she grinned. "Your timing was perfect."

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gene drank slow, he had no intention of drinking too much if he was driving Molly around. Alex would kill him. He played darts with Minty and Masood and kept an eye on Molly. He knew Whitney was old enough to drink and the pub was busy, however, he was also pretty sure Molly wouldn't drink.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly nodded with a chuckle. She could imagine the chaos at Whitney's house. 3 younger siblings. Wow. She grinned and ordered herself a coke from Tracey as she seated herself on a bar stool.

"It's because I'm partially telepathic. I sensed your desperation," she smiled back with a knowing nod of her head.

Whitney laughed.

"Oh really, well tell me what I'm thinking now!" she teased and took a sip of her drink.

Molly studied Whitney for a moment and concentrated. Then grinned.

"You're thinking: she's not telepathic, she won't guess what I'm thinking!" she shot back with a triumphant grin. "Either that or the word giraffe," she added with a shrug.

"I was thinking, I love chocolate," Whitney laughed.

Molly giggled.

"Liar," she grinned.

"So, what are you up to tomorrow?" Whitney wanted to know.

"Well, Mum's back tomorrow so we've got to set up Sam's room so it's all ready for him. We haven't done it yet because Mum thought she had another few weeks until she had to get started on it."

"Do you want some help?" Whitney asked excitedly. "I can do loads of stuff. I used to help B with Morgan when he was a baby all the time."

Molly smiled.

"Well, if I get stuck babysitting, then company is very welcome."

"Yeah, alright, I should have expected that," Whitney said agreeably.

"I don't know much about babies," Peter put in and waved at Jane as she walked past on her way out.

Molly chuckled at Whitney then turned to Peter.

"What about Bobby? He's a lot younger than you? Surely you know something?"

"I was too young really to help out much when he was a baby," he shrugged. He watched while Bianca came over and spoke to Whitney for a few minutes and then walked away to sit with Max, Bradley and Abi.

"So, Whit, how's school going?" Peter wanted to know.

"All right, actually, yeah. Oh, that reminds me, I need to talk to Tamwar about the website." She craned her head around and finally spotted him moving to sit near Christian and Syed when Zainab and Masood left.

"Hey, Tamwar, can we talk about the website a minute?"

"Sure, Whit," he said and walked with her over to the bar. She smiled and waved at Alyssa as she passed her.

"Scuse me," she said to Alyssa's dad politely as she edged past him to sit at the bar. She put her laptop on the bar and opened it.

"Okay, I just need you to tweak a few things," she handed him a memory stick. "I have some new designs to add. You know," she began and started to nervously twist her fingers. "I spoke to Fatboy and he's willing to help me out, I think I could maybe raise the amount on the maximum order. What do you think?"

"What are you asking me for?"

"Because you're smart, Tamwar, yeah? One class does not make me some high-powered mogul," she teased. Tamwar laughed.

"Sure, I can change that for you and make a notice that it's just temporary, if you want," he offered.

"Perfect. Hey, do you want to sit with us?" she asked.

"Um, sure, okay," he agreed and picked up her laptop and followed her back over to where she and Molly and Peter were sitting.

"Hiya, Tamwar," Peter greeted him.

/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\

Jack raised his brows at Alyssa and smiled. That had been easy. He went into the front room and pulled on his coat.

He grabbed his keys and held the door for Alyssa and her father and locked it behind them. He slid an arm around Alyssa's waist as they walked across the Square to the pub. He spotted Gene right away over at the dart board and grinned. He glanced at Alyssa before ordering himself a pint and Alyssa a white wine spritzer.

"And whatever he's having," he told Peggy with a gesture at Gerald.

"Get ready to lose, Hunt," he called over at Gene. He picked up his pint and took a sip before heading over.

Gene looked at Jack and shook his head.

"Not tonight, Rimmer. I've got luck and the universe on my side," he grinned wickedly. Jack snorted and grabbed the darts out of the board and pushed Gene aside to take his turn.

Gene chuckled.

Alyssa sat herself on her usual barstool as Gerald got himself a drink off Peggy. He took the seat next to Alyssa as she watched the dart game.

He looked over the other man, Hunt Jack had called him. He watched Jack throw his darts and raised an eyebrow at Alyssa's grin. Good shot? He didn't know. Never played darts before.

"He good?"

Alyssa turned her head and nodded. She pointed at the dart board and explained to her Dad everything that Jack had explained to her.

/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\

Jack kept glancing over between his turns, watching Alyssa with her father. They were talking animatedly, he hadn't seen her so happy, well, happy in a different way. He smiled and battered Gene on the back when he won the first game.

"I'm distracted, been up most of the night with the wife giving birth and all," Gene complained. Jack snorted a laugh.

"You still lost, I'll have my pint."

/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\

Alyssa looked up as she heard Gene's grumble and Jack's smug tone. She looked over at the dart board where the scores had been marked on the small chalk board. She smiled. Jack had won.

She looked over at her Dad.

"Do you understand now?" she smiled at him.

He nodded with a grin and looked at the score board.

"You take the number you throw, off whatever you start with and it's the first one to reach zero," he clarified with a smile.

Gene glared at Jack who chuckled and offered Gene to take the first go.

He walked back over to Alyssa.

"Seems Alex is doing well, she and the baby are going home tomorrow he says. He wants me to take him to pick her and the baby up since he hasn't had a chance to get Alex a proper car. He refuses to have the baby in the Quattro," he chuckled.

"Do you want to join the game? He's not playing well."

Alyssa smiled and looked over at Gene as he took a shot. Her eyebrows went up.

"It's not surprising he's distracted. Alex went into early labour," she smiled. "I'll play. The way Gene's going it looks like I'll be more competition," she grinned.

Alyssa hopped off the stool and made her way over. She smiled at Gene as she waited for him to finish.

Gerald watched his daughter interact with these people curiously. He rarely got to see her around her friends at home. Caroline's rules. He sighed.

Bianca and Ricky came in and Bianca spotted Alyssa and rushed over to her.

"Look, is there any chance you have and openings in the salon day after tomorrow? I know you're probably booked up but, well, I'm a bit desperate," she said and leaned close to Alyssa. "I need a leg waxing," she whispered and then moved back. "So, let me know yeah? I'm working in the café tomorrow, late afternoon," she said and with a quick wave at Alyssa, went to talk to Whitney for a moment.

Jack greeted Ricky happily and Ricky bought Gene a pint when he heard the good news about Alex having the baby. Jack glanced over at Alyssa's father. He hoped the man wasn't too overwhelmed.

Gerald looked up as a new load of people came into the pub and a ginger woman came over to speak to Alyssa. The salon? Where she worked? He didn't know, but guessed that was the case. He sipped his pint and watched interestedly.

Alyssa opened her mouth to answer Bianca and tell her that they weren't open until New Year but she had already run off, she chuckled and turned back to her Dad.

"That was Bianca, she's married to Ricky, and the dark haired girl, Whitney, is their, well, daughter I suppose," she shrugged.

Gerald nodded his coherency, so the other teenage girl was the big bullish man's step-daughter and her mum had just given birth. He exhaled slowly and watched the people around him interacting.

"Who else?" he questioned.

Alyssa smiled and casually pointed out people and explained family connections, she smiled at JT as she saw him appear from the door.

JT came downstairs and into the pub. He spotted Alyssa and hurried over to her.

"Alyssa," he drawled and patted her roughly on the shoulder to get her attention. He saw Gerald and nodded respectfully before turning his attention back to Alyssa. He held out his cell phone to her.

"It's Louisa, she wants to talk to you," he said.

"That's JT, he's Rowan's..." she trailed off as JT spoke and held a phone out to her, she frowned but took it anyway.

She held the phone to her ear and spoke into it curiously.

"Louisa?"

Alyssa looked up briefly as Whitney passed her and waved back.

Gerald studied the man in front of him interestedly. JT, his accent was a lot like Rowan's. Family? He shrugged but nodded at him. The guy was big, Alyssa didn't seem intimidated at all. Gerald felt a little uneasy, this was different, so many people. His local held a couple of people and everyone knew each other well, here it was the same, but a much larger scale. He gulped down some more of his pint as he attempted to adjust to this new situation.

He looked up as someone spoke and shifted himself so that he was out of Whitney's way.

"Hi, Alyssa," Louisa drawled. "Momma and I are making a batch of lotion and soap this weekend. Now, I know Rowan gave you some shampoo, do you want us to send you along some soap and lotion when we send hers? And, oh hang on, right, Gem wants to know if the tea worked on Ronnie," Louisa said, her tone confused, "whatever that means and...what?" Louisa sighed. "Just take the dang-blamed phone and do it," Louisa muttered. Gem sighed and took the phone.

Alyssa listened silently as Louisa spoke to her.

"Yes, please, Louisa, I love the shampoo," she grinned down the phone.

"Alyssa, you're her sister, you have to knock some sense into that girl. Tell her to ease up or she's going to break things beyond repair. Tell her she needs to give up the total control she's so desperate for and apologize. She'll know what I'm talking about. And if she hasn't told you then she's a bigger fool than I thought. Stand in my stead and tell her these things, please," Gem told Alyssa and handed the phone back to Louisa.

She raised her eyebrow when she heard Gem take the phone. Alyssa had thought that she wasn't a fan of electricity. She listened carefully and she frowned. She would tell Rowan what Gem had said but she would not even pretend she understood what she meant. She opened her mouth to speak when Louisa came back on. She shut her mouth.

"Okay, I guess Gem's said her piece. I hope you're having a nice holiday and we look forward to seeing you again. I have to go now, the babies are crying. Blessed be, Alyssa," Louisa said and hung up.

"Bye, Louisa."

JT watched as Alyssa spoke on the phone. He glanced at her and then at her father again and smiled. He offered his hand to shake.

"How are you sir? I'm JT, one of Rowan's kin," he said politely.

Gerald nodded and shook JT's hand.

"Nice to meet you JT," he replied with a nod.

"Gerald, Alyssa's father," he added.

"I can tell," JT said to Gerald with a smile

Alyssa hung up and handed the phone back to JT.

"Your family confuse me. I'm not even going to try to understand what that was about," she sighed as he took the phone.

JT turned to Alyssa and took back his phone.

"No one ever pretends to understand what Gem says, you usually figure it out later when what she's trying to warn you about, happens. I do know something is up with Rowan," he told her quietly. "Chris volunteered to take those night shifts, all of them. And when he doesn't work, he stays away late. The tension is too thick there anymore. Fortunately, Roxy don't mind if I stay here," he said, low enough that no one else could hear.

"You should have a talk with her tomorrow, cause she ain't talking to nobody," he said. He nodded at Alyssa's dad and walked away.

Alyssa frowned at him. Tension? She bit her lip as she saw Jack go outside and puzzled over what JT had just told her, combined with what Gem had said. They had seemed fine earlier, their normal playful selves. She spared a look and nod as JT walked away. She furrowed her brow then nodded as she made decision and pulled out her phone. She had Rowan's number on speed dial so rang it and held the phone to her ear as she waited for Rowan to pick up.

Gerald watched JT leave, then looked back at Alyssa. Was there that much of a resemblance? He had never noticed before. He frowned at the look on her face and ordered another pint as he watched her fiddle around with her phone and then press it to her ear.

/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Jack patted Gene on the back as he and Ricky let him win and handed Peggy the money for Gene's pint.

He pulled a cigarette out and headed for the door to go outside and smoke.

/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Jack came back in and saw Alyssa frowning with her phone to her ear. Something was wrong. He walked over to her and put a concerned hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked her quietly. He glanced over and saw Ricky and Gene had started another game, but was more worried about Alyssa.

JT went back upstairs.

"The pub is getting busy, Peggy and Tracy seem to be fine, though. We can go down though if Amy's asleep."

/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Alyssa looked up at Jack and sighed. The phone rang out. She shut it off, resolving to go around there tomorrow.

"Something's up with Ro. I got a call off Gem and she said to tell her to 'ease up or else she will break things beyond repair' and that she needs to give up the control she's after and apologize. Then JT said that it's really tense at Rowan and Chris'. Apparently Chris has purposefully taken all the night shifts, JT reckons something is definitely up with Ro," she sighed. "Why haven't I noticed anything?" she sighed as she dug in her mind for anything out of the ordinary in either Chris or Rowan's behaviour.

Jack looked at her. "Chris was uneasy when we were outside smoking. I thought it was maybe because he had to go to work, but now that explains it. You're not around her all the time anymore, love. It's going to be harder to notice these things. She did seem oddly meek today though, don't you think? She didn't get pushy in the kitchen at all."

He got himself another pint and took a drink.

"Chris is at work, you can always talk to him if Rowan's not answering her phone."

Alyssa sighed as she thought about Rowan's behaviour today.

"I just thought she was a little tired. I mean, Chris working nights, she doesn't like being alone." She ran her hands through her fringe and closed her eyes. Could she call Chris at work? Was that allowed? He had an important job. She sighed again, if he was busy then he would say so and hang up. She would call him.

"You're right. I'm gonna call Chris," she mumbled as she dialled Chris' mobile.

/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Chris stood outside smoking a cigarette, staring at nothing and bored out of his skull. He heard his phone go off and fished it out of his pocket. His eyebrows rose when he saw Alyssa's name and flipped open his phone.

"Skelton," he answered, "What do you need Alyssa? Is something wrong?"

Alyssa felt her breath catch as Chris picked up. What the hell was she supposed to say. Talking to Rowan about this sort of stuff was easy. With Chris it felt a little awkward.

"Chris," she said slowly as she tried to find the words that she wanted. "Is everything okay with you and Rowan?" she asked. "Only, Jack said you were acting a little strange and Rowan wasn't her usual self either," she added then let the concern seep into her voice. "I just wondered if something had happened?"

"Something like what? Something like this whole business of her trying to get pregnant has got ridiculous? We don't even have proper sex anymore, I'm sorry if saying that is a problem, but it's true. She went cold and clinical, she's not the same anymore. She's so controlled..." he trailed off. He took a drag off his cigarette and sighed.

Alyssa's eyebrows flew up. She hadn't expected that. She sighed.

"Have you actually tried talking to her about it Chris? Seeing how she feels and making sure she knows how you feel about it. Sometimes..." she broke off as a sudden realisation hit her. This was what Gem had been talking about. "That's why you're working nights," she sighed. "To avoid her and then sleep during the day," Alyssa rubbed a hand down her face. She was going to have to have a talk with Rowan.

"Yes, that's why I took nights," he admitted. "She won't hear me, Alyssa. I'm not sure what I'm going to do," he sighed.

Alyssa bit her lip.

"Let me talk to her," she said. "I just got a phone call from Louisa and Gem has a message for Ro anyway, and we're going over to the restaurant tomorrow as well. I'll try to make her understand what she's doing," she told him.

Chris nodded.

"I doubt it can make thing worse. I've been thinking about moving out permanently. I love her, but..." he trailed off and sighed. "I should get back and act like I'm working. Thanks, Lyss."

"Bye, Chris," she sighed.

Alyssa shut off her phone and rested it in her lap. She was definitely going to have to talk to Rowan. What Gem had meant had suddenly become a whole lot clearer. She dialled Rowan again. Again the phone rang out. She would have to leave it until tomorrow. She clearly wasn't going to be able to have this conversation today.

Gerald peered at her as she hung up. Something was up. She was doing that face.

"Everything okay?"

Alyssa looked up at him blankly for a moment, then shook her head.

"Not really. Looks like I'm going to have an interesting day tomorrow," she told him as she slipped her phone back into her pocket and took a large gulp of her drink.

Gerald frowned at her curiously but didn't press her. Didn't concern him.

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\

Roxy stood and stroked the hair off Amy's face as she listened a moment longer to her daughter's sleepy breathing

"She's dropped off," she murmured to him as she backed out of the room carefully and made sure the light was shut off. She closed the door and turned to smile at JT. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly.

"Merry Christmas."

"Very merry," he said and kissed her back. "Maybe we don't need to go down just yet," he whispered. He tightened his arms around her waist and lifted her up and began to walk towards her bedroom.

Roxy secured her arms around his neck and kissed his forehead as he carried her into her dark room. she watched him shut her bedroom door behind them and shut them together in darkness

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\

Tamwar finally finished with Whitney's website.

"I'm going to head home now, it was good talking to you guys," he said gratefully. With Libby gone so often, he had few people to talk to. Whitney patted his back and smiled.

Peter waved and slid his arm back around Molly's shoulders.

"You know, Mr. Hunt hasn't glared at me once tonight. I think he's starting to like me," Peter observed and looked at Molly.

Molly waved at Tamwar and raised an eyebrow at Peter then looked over at Gene. She grinned.

"Either that or he's just too distracted by the thought of Mum and Sam to bother scrutinising you," she teased.

"I don't care, I'm just going to consider myself lucky," Peter replied. Whitney got up and went to get a second drink and got Peter and Molly each another coke.

She brought the drinks back over, sat down and handed them their drinks. She took a sip of her drink.

"So does it feel weird yet, ordering real drinks in the pub?" Peter wanted to know.

Whitney shrugged. "No, not really, but I keep waiting for Peggy or someone to ask me if I'm old enough, even though everyone knows when my birthday was," she giggled. "Yours, too, for that matter."

"I think it was a good idea to have a combined party," he said.

"Yeah, I mean we would have gone to each others' anyway," she agreed and laughed.

/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Jane finally switched on the kettle when she got home and jumped at a loud thump from upstairs. She frowned and switched off the kettle and went upstairs.

"Ronnie?" she called as she knocked on the door. "Are you okay?"

She put her ear to the door and heard a strangled sob from inside. Something was wrong. She ran downstairs and grabbed her keys and went back up and unlocked the door. She eased the door open and looked around. There was a bag by the door.

"Ronnie?" Jane asked as she slowly stepped inside the flat. She closed the door softly and took a step forward before spotting Ronnie sitting against the wall, sobbing. She hurried over to her and knelt beside her.

"Ronnie, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Ronnie looked up at Jane and drew in a long breath.

"Ray's just like them. He...he thought I tricked him. I didn't. I wouldn't. I couldn't, not him. I thought he trusted me, it was all a lie," she gushed out. "I made him leave."

"Oh, Ronnie, no," Jane said and folded Ronnie in her arms. "What happened?"

Ronnie sniffed and Jane went and grabbed a box of tissues from the bathroom and came back and settled next to Ronnie on the floor again.

"We went to Aunty Peg's for dinner. Phil got drunk. He broke my necklace. I don't think he meant to break it, but he was being nasty. Ray got mad, pushed Phil away from me and then Phil started saying all these things about me. Ray believed him. After everything, he believed Phil instead of me. Up till now, he's always been the one person who believed in me. Oh, Jane, it's why I loved him. But even after every promise I've kept, every time I've told him the truth when I could have lied, he doubted me."

Jane held Ronnie tight and stroked her hair. "Why would he doubt you, Ronnie? I don't understand."

"Because I'm pregnant," Ronnie replied in a small voice.

"I thought he wanted you to get pregnant," Jane pulled back and looked at her.

Ronnie nodded. "But I'm three months pregnant and I shouldn't be. It was that tea that Rowan's grandmother sent home. If you detox, you get the stuff out of your system faster and you get pregnant sooner, but I didn't know it was that kind of tea," she confessed and began to sob again.

"So, your system got flushed out and you got pregnant three months sooner than expected," Jane sighed. Ronnie nodded.

"For all I know, he thinks I was lying about the injections in the first place."

"Oh, Ronnie," Jane commiserated softly.

"Now I wish I hadn't stopped them. I wish I wasn't pregnant. I love him so much."

"Did you try calling him?"

"Just once. I got his voicemail. I didn't want to try again. He thinks I lied, and tricked him. He's just like everyone else. I've lost him," she said and looked at Jane, her face devoid of hope. Her hands went to her belly and Jane wrapped Ronnie in her arms as the other woman began to slump to the floor sobbing again.

Jane held her and wished she knew what to do.

Jane looked at Ronnie.

"What are you going to do?"

Ronnie sighed.

"I don't know. He didn't believe in me, how can I forgive that?"

"Are you sure he meant it? It couldn't have been easy for him. Finding out you're three months pregnant, when you shouldn't have been. Going to dinner with your family, having Phil get in his face, he was out of sorts. Can you really blame him for asking?"

Ronnie rubbed her face. "I don't know."

"Maybe if you'd just answered him, he'd have surely believed you," Jane said reasonably.

Ronnie sighed. "How could I know for sure? I never thought, not in a million years he would think about asking."

"You should get to bed. You need to sleep."

Ronnie nodded and let Jane help her up. Jane gave her a hug.

"Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Sure, Jane, thanks for helping me calm down."

Jane gave her a small smile and went home. Ronnie undressed and looked at the empty bed. She closed her eyes and sighed before crawling into bed and falling asleep.

Rhys yawned as he finally parked in front of his flat. He looked at Shaz and smiled tiredly and looked at Ffion curled up and asleep in the back. He tiredly climbed from the car and went to get the bags from the boot. He walked around and handed the keys to Shaz so she could open the door.

"You know, I hate that drive. I'm tired but I don't half fancy a pint, what about you?" he asked her softly as he held the bags and waited for her to unlock the door. "I should drive Ffion home as well. So, we could drive her home, go to the pub, have one drink and come home and go to bed. Of course, if Ginger hadn't asked for Boxing Day off before I got the chance and if Chris hadn't taken the night shifts I wouldn't have to go in tomorrow," he complained.

Shaz took the keys from him and opened the door. She reached for the light switch and illuminated their home. Exactly as they had left it. She rolled her eyes as Rhys complained and waited for him to put the bags down before going over to him.

She has thoroughly enjoyed staying with his family over Christmas. She had had some very enlightening conversations with his mum. Very interesting conversations that Rhys didn't know about.

She ran a finger down his cheek and smiled.

"Your mum has got you nailed right down to a tee," she chuckled "You can't stand in a queue without moaning, complains about work and traffic, the list is endless," she teased as she planted a light kiss on his lips. She sighed and looked back at the car and the sleeping figure inside.

"You sneaky mare," he gasped in shock. "Going to her and learning my secrets, that is not fair!"

He pulled her close. "I may have to punish you, you sneaky thing."

"Should we wake her? Let her know we're back in London?" Shaz murmured to him. "And I think the pub is an excellent idea."

He glanced over at Ffion's sleeping form.

"We'll wake her up when we get her home."

He dropped their bags inside the flat and smiled.

"Let's get her home and get to the pub," he said and smacked her behind.

Shaz chuckled and grinned up at him.

"Your mum was more than happy to dish the dirt," she smiled and climbed back into the car quietly and waited for him to start the engine and take Ffion back to Alyssa and Jack's.

"You didn't have to listen," he said with a snort and drove Ffion home. He opened the car and shook Ffion's shoulder.

"C'mon, wake up," he said and reached in to lift her out of the car.

"Can you get her keys out of her bag, love, I'm not sure she's going to wake up. Good grief, I hadn't realized she was so pissed," he remarked. He pulled her bag from the seat of the car and slung it over his shoulder and carried her to the door.

Shaz dug in Ffion's handbag and smiled when her hand found the keyring that her keys were attached to. She pulled it out swiftly and unlocked the front door and held it open to allow Rhys to carry Ffion inside. She looked around the dark walls for some sign of a light switch. She found one and flicked it then frowned.

"D'you know which room is hers?" she whispered.

"No idea," he mumbled.

"Can you stop shouting?" Ffion muttered. Rhys looked down at his sister.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," he greeted her.

She groaned. "Put me down, I'll walk."

He put Ffion on her feet and she looked around.

"Home, then, I see," she remarked and moved unsteadily towards the stairs.

"Can you get up there all right?"

Ffion shot him a look of disgust. "Course I can," she said and grabbed the rail and began to haul herself up the stairs. Rhys looked at Shaz and rolled his eyes and tried to hold back laughter. He picked up Ffion's bag and went up the stairs and helped his sister the rest of the way to her room.

He put her bag down and sat her on her bed.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, "but after I get off work. I don't want you coming down to the station."

Ffion frowned at him and slipped off her shoes and then her jeans before falling sideways onto her bed.

"Fine," she grumbled as she closed her eyes.

Rhys shook his head and left her room, switching the light off as he went. He went back downstairs.

"She's out, let's go," he said to Shaz and headed back out to the car.

/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Shaz chuckled, but stayed downstairs as Rhys sorted Ffion out. She smiled as he walked past her and back outside.

She followed after him and got into the car.

Rhys drove them to the pub and walked inside with her.

"I'll have a pint, please," he said to Peggy, "and half a lager."

He looked over at Gene and raised his glass to him. Gene gave him a nod back and went back to his game.

Jack moved over to Alyssa and put an arm around her shoulders.

"So, I guess you know what's going on now?" he asked and gave her a squeeze. "Don't worry, love," he said softly and kissed her cheek. He looked over and saw Rhys and Shaz walk in.

"Looks like someone's back from Wales," he said in her ear.

"Rimmer, are you going to play or have you realized you can't win this one?" Gene called over.

Jack chuckled and glanced over at Gene.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I'm going to win, Hunt," Jack called back. He grinned at Alyssa and gave her a swift kiss before heading back to the game.

Alyssa watched Jack vanish and smiled at his jokey attitude with Gene, it was the same whenever they were both in the pub together and even though there was usually other people playing the game too, Gene and Jack were always in strict competition. Though usually she had Alex to talk to.

She looked up at Shaz and Rhys and smiled with a wave.

Shaz smiled at Alyssa as she saw her and went over to her. She settled herself on the barstool next to her with a grin and took her drink from Rhys with a smile.

"Merry Christmas! Wot's occurrin'?" she grinned.

Alyssa smiled at Shaz and raised an eyebrow.

"Someone has been spending waaay too much time amongst the Welsh," she teased.

Shaz smiled. "It was certainly a different type of Christmas to what I'm used to, but it was great fun too."

Alyssa nodded. "How's Fee?"

Shaz shrugged. "She's got the hangover from hell, she's gone home and is sleeping it off as we speak."

"Oh, what have you got against the Welsh?" Rhys asked in mock-offense. He grinned.

"I'll have you know she was talking like that before we even got to Cardiff," Rhys stated. "Her accent is terrible."

Alyssa nodded with a smile. Ffion with a hangover at Christmas was to be expected, she wondered what state she would be in on New Year's Eve.

Gerald watched the two girls talk with acute interest. Everybody seemed to know everybody else, this place really was a hive, and now that he was involved it was quite infectious. He nodded at Shaz as she caught him looking at her and she smiled back cautiously then turned to Alyssa. Alyssa smiled at Shaz' confusion.

"Dad, this is Shaz," she introduced then turned to Shaz. "Shaz this is Gerald, my Dad," she explained.

Shaz nodded her understanding and took Gerald's hand, "Lovely to meet you," she smiled at him.

Alyssa grinned up at Rhys as he covered Shaz' mouth with his hand and sipped her drink to hide her chuckle.

Gerald nodded back. "You too, Shaz."

Rhys chuckled and put his hand over Shaz' mouth. He nodded at Alyssa's dad. "I'm Rhys," he introduced himself, "nice to meet you."

Gerald nodded at Rhys with a small smile.

"Hey, how was Rowan's party?" he asked Alyssa curiously. "We wanted to go, but I have to work tomorrow, so had to miss it if we wanted more time in Cardiff."

"Rowan's party was amazing, as usual the food was outstanding, but from Rowan what else can you expect?"

He let go of Shaz and moved closer to Alyssa. "Look, can I talk to you about something, in private?"

Alyssa slipped off the stool and led Rhys away, she had an idea what he wanted to talk about, and her idea was that it concerned Ffion.

Shaz sipped her drink with a smile at Gerald as Rhys and Alyssa walked away.

Gerald frowned, her name was Shaz?

"What's your name short for?" he asked.

"Sharon," she replied, raising her eyebrows at him.

Alyssa stopped next to an empty table and motioned for Rhys to sit down, she joined him.

"I have to say, I think I know what you want to talk about," she sighed.

"Well, if you're guessing it's about Fee's behavior, then you'd be right. I spoke to my sister, Katie, about Fee. She and Fee for were close for a time. We both agree Fee has some trouble with needing approval. I hate to say it, she got a bit ignored after Gar was born and then Katie went on to do big things. Anyway, between us, we made sure the family was very supportive of her moving here and with her job. I'm going to move her in with me and Shaz. She can have Ginger's room. I just think, for a while at least, it will help if she's closer to family. Katie thinks that Fee looks to me for approval, that she and I have a bit of a bond. So, anyway," he shrugged.

"I'll help her move tomorrow if that's all right."

Alyssa listened to Rhys carefully and nodded.

"Are you sure? I mean, Jack and I have thought that there was, well, not necessarily wrong with her," she assured him. "But, we've noticed that she's out with a different bloke each night and when she comes home alone she seems, well," she sighed. "Depressed. I meant to talk to you about it before you went away to Cardiff but the opportunity didn't come up."

Rhys nodded. "I spoke a bit to one of her mates. It started after I left for here. Dad was never around for us, he was always traveling for work. I was closest to Fee when we were growing up and when I left it must have hurt her more than I thought. Seems this thing started shortly after that. If she still doesn't settle, then I'll get her some counseling. I hope she hasn't caused you too many problems," he said. "She's got a good heart."

He sighed.

"At least things will be calm while your dad is here," he smiled.

Jack looked over and saw Alyssa talking quietly with Rhys. He wondered if they were discussing Ffion. He looked at his watch and realized it was getting late. He finished the game with Hunt, only barely winning. He hurriedly drained the pint Hunt bought him and walked over to Alyssa's dad.

"Getting a bit late, I think we'll be heading home soon enough. If you want to stay here, I'll give you a spare key so you can get in the house when you're ready."

Gerald looked up at Jack and then down at his nearly full pint. He raised his glass.

"I'll finish this, then follow you," he smiled.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Jack nodded and went over to Alyssa.

"Ready to head home?" he asked her with a small smile at Rhys.

Alyssa looked up at Jack as he came over and nodded. Then looked back at Rhys with a nod.

"Alright, Jack?" Rhys said. "Thanks for looking out for her, Alyssa."

"You're welcome."Alyssa nodded.

"I like her. She's great fun," she smiled back.

He squeezed her shoulder and went back over to Shaz.

She watched him go back to Shaz and looked back at Jack.

"Was that about Ffion?" Jack asked her quietly. "I hope everything is okay.

"It was. Rhys is going to move her in with him. He reckons she's got approval issues and looks to him for reassurance and everything. He thinks it's best," she sighed. "Ffion's moving out."

He nodded slowly at her comment about Ffion. "I thought maybe it was something like that. I'm glad he's going to help her."

Alyssa stood up and looked over at Gerald. She noted the level of his pint with a frown.

"I take it Dad's staying here for a bit?" she asked as she slipped her hand into his.

"We'll walk slow, he said he'll be right behind us," Jack told her. He slid an arm around her shoulder and walked with her back over to her dad.

"Okay, so we're heading out. You're sure you don't want a key?"

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Rhys drained his pint and looked at Shaz.

"Right, that's one. Do we want another or time to go?"

Shaz raised her eyebrows at him and drank down her lager.

"I'm gonna say home. You've got to take over from the night team tomorrow. And you are going to be Hell to work with tomorrow if you're tired," she teased with a grin at him.

"I know, just checking. Not just the night team either, but Skelton. He's in charge at night while Hale's gone. I probably shouldn't screw up when it's him," he winked at her and led her out of the pub.

Shaz rolled her eyes at him as she got back into the car and belted herself in.

"Awwwww Rhys," she mocked. "Are you scared of Chris," she chuckled at him merrily as she sat back in her seat.

"Course not," he scoffed as he started the car. "I just don't want to disappoint anyone. I'm a DS now, I have a responsibility."

He frowned at her, then gave her a wink and drove them home.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Alyssa slipped her arm around Jack's waist and looked questioning at her Dad.

Gerald took in the sight of his daughter with Jack's arm wrapped around her and hers around him. He sighed. He regretted the way he had treated the pair of them the last time he had seen the both of them. He had to admit, they did seem to fit with each other. He shook his head.

"Honestly, I'll be right behind you" he said showing them the contents of his glass.

Alyssa frowned at him as slipped her spare hand into her pocket and pulled out her house key. She placed it on the bar next to him.

"Take it anyway, Dad. Just in case," she said and Gerald took the key and slipped it into his jacket pocket. He nodded at the pair of them as Alyssa walked out of the pub with Jack.

Jack took his time as they walked home. He glanced back occasionally to see if her father was behind them.

"He's not there yet," he said to her quietly. He pulled her into a kiss before letting her go and continuing to walk. "He has a key. Let's just go home, because I would like to get you in bed."

He began to walk a bit faster and grinned at her.

Alyssa smiled back at him and chewed her lip before letting go of him and breaking into a run to reach the house first. She beat him to the front door then realised the flaw in her plan: she had given her key to Gerald. She frowned and leant against the door as she waited for him to catch up.

Jack grinned widely and sauntered up to the front door of the house, his key dangling from his fingers.

"Is this what you want?" he asked her playfully as he approached. He pressed her close against the outside wall of the house as he stuck his key in the lock and turned it to open the door. He looked at her intently and moved close then pulled back before kissing her and stepped away so she could go inside.

He followed her inside and shut the door and shoved his keys back in his pocket. He swung her up in his arms and went into the kitchen to turn on the light over the stove. It wasn't too bright, but at least Alyssa's father would not have to stumble around in the dark.

He carried Alyssa to their bedroom and dropped her on the bed. He shut the door and climbed onto the bed next to her and ran his hands under her top as he pressed his lips to hers.

Alyssa immediately rolled her hips into his and slid her hands into his hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss. Her thighs rose to bracket his hips and she broke the kiss. He was still wearing clothes. She frowned and started on his clothes, peeling his top off him and unbuckling his belt. She slid his trousers down over his hips and then took him in her hand as she pressed her lips to his once more.

Jack chuckled at her impatience and couldn't hold back a moan as she took him in hand. He began to breathe heavily and reached for her jeans. He unfastened them and tried to pull them down, but it would cause Alyssa to stop what she was doing and it felt too good.

"Lysss," he groaned. "Jeans."

Alyssa reached for her waist band with one hand and tugged so that her jeans eased their way down over her hips. She had to release her hold on his hips to get her jeans off completely. She leaned her face back up to his as her now spare hand teased the elastic waistband of his boxers.

Jack pushed her hand aside and grabbed the hem of her top and pulled it off. He yanked off his boxers and leaned back over her. He slipped down the straps of her bra and began to kiss the swell of her breasts.

Alyssa moved her hands to roam freely over his back and hold him down to her. Her back arched uncontrollably at his attentions and she moaned his name softly.

Jack trailed kisses farther down, over her belly, his hands sliding over her sides and up over her breasts. He lifted his head and gazed at her as he trailed his fingers over her skin. He still couldn't believe she loved him. She was so amazingly beautiful. He ran his hands over belly and down her legs as he bent his head and kissed up the inside of her thigh. He glanced at her and tore off her knickers before putting his lips and tongue to work between her legs.

Alyssa's eyes rolled shut and her breaths came quick and fast. She let her hands fall to her sides and grabbed handfuls of the duvet as she tried to stay in control of herself. It was no good. He knew exactly what to do to her. She moaned softly and felt her body tense. His touch had her every nerve on fire, a fire that rippled over her body in a tidal wave of feeling and desire. Her moans got louder as she felt her body nearing the brink.

Jack increased his efforts, pushing her over the brink. He climbed up her body and kissed her deeply. He looked down at her and smiled, kissed her again and thrust slowly into her.

Alyssa's breathing slowed as she came back to earth and she opened her eyes as she felt him inside him. She smiled up at him and caught his lips in a kiss once again as she lifted one of her legs over his hips to pull herself closer and she tilted and moved herself to perfect their fit. Her arms came around his neck as she held herself to him and glued her mouth to his own.

Jack moaned into the kiss and began to thrust harder. He could do this to her forever. He broke off the kiss, gazed down at her and slid his hand into her hair.

Alyssa moved her other leg around his waist and locked her ankles together, holding herself in place. She threaded one hand through his hair as she lay underneath him and looked into his face. She felt a wave wash over her and she moaned his name softly as she arched against him.

Jack groaned as she locked her legs around him.

"Oh, Lyss, you drive me crazy," he whispered in her ear. He captured her lips and thrust hard and suddenly felt himself go within her. He cried out into the kiss and pressed against her.

He broke off the kiss and gulped for air as he gazed at her. He was glad they hadn't been too loud, especially if her father had got back from the pub. Still trying to catch his breath, he dropped next to her.

"Oh, woman," he sighed and pulled her to him. "You are something else."

Alyssa rested her head on his chest and tried to get her breathing under control once more. Her eyes shut as she wrapped her arms around him and lay still. She tilted her head to look up at his face and smiled as she raised her body to get a better look at him.

"I love you, Jack," she whispered as she ran a finger down his cheek, then leaned forward and stole another kiss from him. She settled herself back down into his arms. She sighed peacefully as she wondered whether her Dad was home yet. She presumed he would be by now.

"I didn't tell Dad about Ffion," she sighed as she absent-mindedly trailed her fingers down his chest.

She still had to have that talk with Rowan. They were going over for brunch anyway, she would try then. She had promised both Gem and Chris. And JT in a sense. She hugged her body closer to Jack's, absorbing his warmth.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Jack said softly, his tone reassuring as he stroked her hair. "She's moving out tomorrow anyway so…." he trailed off and shrugged before tightening his arms around Alyssa. He shifted slightly to grab the edge of the bedcovers and pull them over himself and Alyssa.

He wrapped her tightly in his arms again and kissed the top of her head before beginning to drift off.

Alyssa nodded with another more silent sigh as she snuggled right into his chest and shut her eyes peacefully.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Gene finished his pint and headed over to Molly.

"C'mon Molly, let's go. It's been a long day and we have to make sure we get your mum when she's ready tomorrow."

Molly looked up at him and nodded. She kissed Peter and waved to Whitney and told them both she would speak to them tomorrow before hurrying after Gene and climbing back into the Quattro. She frowned at him.

"The whole reason for coming down the pub was to get food," she told him "Can we pop to the chippy and get something on the way home?" she asked.

"Sorry, love, I thought you would have ordered something to eat," Gene said in surprise. He drove them to the chippy and led her inside. He ordered fish and chips for himself and waited for her to order as he pulled out his money.

Molly ordered herself a cone of chips and waited for Gene to pay as she picked up a small blue plastic fork to eat her chips with so she didn't get the salt and grease on her fingers. She smiled. The Quattro would reek of chips for days now.

Gene cracked the window on his side of the car as he drove them home. The last thing he wanted was the Quattro to reek of chip fat. He drove home quickly and left the car door open after he climbed out. He opened Molly's door and put his hand on the door to keep her from shutting it.

"You go on inside and eat," he told her as he lit up a smoke and leaned against the car.

Molly rolled her eyes at him and chuckled. She made sure she had his food too and climbed up the steps and into the flat. She placed the food on the table and switched the oven on a low heat. She put Gene's food inside so it wouldn't get cold and then sat in front of the TV as she ate.

Gene ignored Molly's eye roll and chuckle and smoked in silence. Soon, silence would be hard won. He sighed.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Rowan shifted and opened her eyes. She blinked and looked at Ray, felt his arm around her and looked him over. She had to admit he was something else. She reached up and softly stroked his cheek, careful not to wake him.

She put her head back down on his chest. She had to sleep. But she didn't want to miss the feeling of not being alone, of being held. She huddled close to him and curled her arm around him again as she stared into the dark and let her tears fall.

Rowan slipped from the bed and padded into the bathroom. She rinsed her face and blew her nose and sighed. She closed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair before going back into the bedroom.

She gazed down at Ray and folded her arms and idly scratched at the scar on her arm, a legacy of her final encounter with Brian. She crawled back onto the bed and leaned back on her heels beside him, still staring down at him. She gnawed her lip and slowly folded the covers back from him.

She leaned over and trailed a hand over his chest and down over his abdomen and down his thigh. She carefully shifted his leg and moved to kneel between his legs. She bent down and began to plant slow kisses over his flesh before licking him slowly from root to tip. She took him in her hands as he began to harden and began to lavish attention on him with her tongue and lips. She gently took him in her mouth, all the way to the back of her throat as she caressed the insides of his thighs and the sensitive flesh between his legs with her fingers.

Ray woke groggily. He felt like, well, he felt like there was someone prodding his brain with a rusty knitting needle, and his mouth was drier than Ghandi's left flip flop.

An all too familiar sensation between his legs alerted him to why he had woken. Something was going on down there. He groaned. Someone was down there. He raised his head from the pillows and was about to moan Ronnie's name when he recognised Rowan. The name died on his lips as he tried to figure out what was going on. He had a vague memory of sleeping with her, but had presumed it was a dream. Apparently not. He opened his mouth to talk, but all that came out was a long, low, uncontrollable moan. Whatever she was doing, it was good. Indescribably good.

Rowan registered Ray waking and heard him moan. She very gently grazed him with her teeth then thrust him deep into her throat again as she caressed him with her tongue. She wrapped her hand around the base of him and began to work the base of him with her hand, matching the pace of her hand with the pace of her mouth.

Ray fell backwards into the pillows and grabbed great handfuls of the blankets around him, clenching his hands into fists. Whatever she was doing to him felt unbelievably heavenly. He closed his eyes and another moan escaped him

Rowan stopped what she was doing and very slowly slid him from her mouth. She climbed up his body, straddled his hips and reached for the glass of water on the bedside table. She lifted the glass to her lips and poured some water into her mouth, not caring that some spilled out the sides of her mouth and down her chest. She closed her mouth and swallowed and leaned over him. She put a hand under his back and raised him up and put the glass to his lips so he could drink.

Ray swallowed the mouthful of water that she had given him gratefully.

When she saw he was done, she put the glass back on the table and kissed him hungrily, exploring his mouth with her tongue.

She broke off the kiss and met his eyes as she sat up slightly. She could feel the hardness of him between her legs and she shifted slightly, lowering herself and letting the flesh between her legs rub against him. She moaned softly.

He watched as she sat up and let out a strangled groan. He tried desperately to thrust up into her but couldn't. Tantalisingly close, but not nearly close enough.

"Tell me what you want," she invited, her tone low and she shifted her hips again.

"You" he growled as his hands moved up her legs "I. Want. You."

Rowan gasped and shivered uncontrollably at his words. She raised herself up and moved a hand down to hold him while she eased herself onto him with a ragged sigh. She sat a moment, feeling him inside her. She drew in a deep breath and ran her hands up over her belly, over her breasts and neck, up her face and into her hair as she moved her hips, causing her upper body to ripple and sway. She moved on him slowly, her hips grinding. She put her hands over his hands where they rested on her legs and moved his hands up her body to her breasts.

Ray caressed her body with his hands voraciously as she moved against him.

She leaned and put her hands on his shoulders and pulled gently, encouraging him to sit up. She slid her hands over his back as she drew him to her and began to move on him more intently. She suddenly stopped and wound her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close. She slid her hands into his hair and put her mouth close to his ear, gently tugging his earlobe with her teeth.

"Is this what you want," she whispered in his ear as she slowly raised herself and then thrust herself down onto him hard, causing herself to cry out. She turned her face and met his gaze, her eyes dark with lust, her lips nearly touching his.

Her question left his senses reeling. He emitted a strangled growl and crushed his lips against hers in a potentially bruising kiss in an answer to her question and held her closer as he bucked his hips harder against hers. He pulled her closer to him so she was pushed right up against his chest and groaned with pleasure. She was incredible.

Rowan leaned forward carefully, forcing him to lie back on the bed. She drove herself onto him harder, her breath coming in heated gasps as she buried her face in his neck. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, glad for once that she didn't have fingernails. She couldn't have borne to hurt him.

She raised her head and kissed him deeply as she stopped moving. She ran her hands into his hair as she broke off the kiss and looked at him. She shifted her legs and pressed herself to him tightly and rolled, pulling him on top. She pulled his head down and put her lips to his ear.

"This is what I want," she breathed and arched herself to him. She wound a leg around his waist and relaxed beneath him in surrender.

Ray slipped an arm around her waist and held her to him as she lay beneath him. He looked down at her and pressed a kiss to her lips. He moved slowly as his other hand ran up and down her leg, caressing it and gently moving it into a better position, giving himself a better angle. He felt himself tremble and moved his mouth to her neck and planted open-mouthed kissed along it as he moaned.

Rowan gasped out a low cry as she felt him tremble and slid her hands over his back. She shivered at his lips on her neck and sighed.

"Ray," she breathed and met his thrusts with her own. She closed her eyes and shoved her head back into the pillow. "So good, oh, Ray, yes," she moaned and began to shake beneath him. "Anything you want, anything," she cried out desperately.

He was unbelievable, she didn't want him to stop.

Ray felt her shake beneath him and ran his hands down her sides slowly, taking in the softness of her skin and she yielded to his every touch, every caress he laid upon her. He was close, so close and his thrust got quicker and harder as he felt himself near his peak. He kept his eyes on her face as he moved and ran his hands back up her body as his eyes rolled shut, he stilled for a moment as he felt his release take hold and then dropped his head onto her shoulder and he tried to gain control of his breathing as he came down from his high.

Rowan was lost in him. His hands on her skin, feeling him inside her, all around her, she was drowning. She stared at him, caught by his eyes, she couldn't look away. It was agony and it was ecstasy and she didn't want it to end. A low whine began low in her throat as she felt him getting close.

As she felt him explode within her, her orgasm tore through her and she could not hold back. She shrieked his name as it hit her again and again. Her throat closed up and she mewled as she shook beneath him.

"Amazing," he muttered. "Bloody amazing, Ro," and planted a small peppering of kisses on the side of her neck close to where he had laid his head. He lifted his head with a quiet sigh and kissed her softly. "Amazing," he told her again as he looked down at her face.

Her breath came ragged as she tried to regain control. She sighed as he kissed her neck and trembled at his words.

She gazed up at him and put her hand on his cheek. "Words fail me," she breathed, aware that the screams he'd drawn from her had made her throat raw. She pulled him down for a soft, lingering kiss.

"That was truly glorious, Ray," she whispered softly and wound her arms around his neck, buried her face in his neck and clung to him.

Ray nodded and slipped his arms around her waist to hold her close. He never would have expected something like that from Rowan. Ever. His left hand automatically reached up and curled in her hair, winding a lock around his finger gently then release the lock and he combed his fingers through her hair. His cheek rested on the top of her head as he simply held her and cradled her in his arms.

Rowan huddled close to Ray and smiled at the feel of his fingers in her hair. She never expected Ray to be like this. The first time had been good, quite thrilling, but this time, had been literally mind-blowing. She normally would have felt embarrassed at such uninhibited abandon, but she didn't. It had felt too good and too right. It had felt wonderful. She trailed her fingers over his chest and sighed. She shifted slightly and pressed herself close to him and enjoyed being wrapped in his arms as her eyes closed.

Ray shifted his position slightly and made himself more comfortable, he kept his grip on her, happy to have someone in his arms. Before he met Ronnie being on his own in a bed didn't bother him. But now, now he felt restless unless he had someone there. He had found he had become dependent on female company. At night anyway.

She had been amazing though. From the everyday Rowan he saw all the time he had never thought that she could be like that. Not at all. Not what he had expected. He smiled happily and kissed the top of her head then leaned his head back and shut his eyes.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Gerald drained his pint and finished his conversation with the barmaid. Tracey. She had told him a brief history of this place. Walford. Some really interesting stuff had happened over the years. Tracey had left out details he could tell but at least he knew a bit more about these people. He left the pub and stepped out into the bitter night air with a shiver. He made his way quickly back to the house, thinking of the kettle and the hot cup of tea he could have before he went to bed.

Gerald fumbled in his pocket for the key as he reached the house. He grasped it firmly and slid it into the lock in the door and twisted. The door opened and he locked it behind him. Off came his coat and his shoes and he loosened his tie as he made his way to the dimly lit kitchen where he knew the kettle would be.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Ffion groaned and opened her eyes. She looked around in confusion for a moment then hurriedly sat up. She grabbed her head and tried to think. She was home. He shoved her hair back and looked around. Yes, her brother had carried her to her room. She huffed out a breath and stood up and got undressed. She saw her bag and opened it and dug out her dressing gown and tied it on.

She crept swiftly and quietly into the bathroom and washed her face. She swallowed down a couple of paracetamol, washing them down with a palm full of water and then dried her face. She brushed her teeth, ran a comb through her hair and felt more human. She moved to the stairs and made her way down quietly. She could hear someone in the kitchen and wondered if it was Jack, or Alyssa or both. She made sure her dressing gown was well closed and tied before entering the kitchen.

Gerald looked up as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He had found the location of the creaky step, the 5th one from the bottom. He counted as the person walked and smiled as she hit that step. He could tell it was female, the steps were too light for it to be a man. Alyssa was still awake he guessed.

He looked up at the unfamiliar voice and turned to face the dark-haired girl with an expression of curiosity. A lodger? Alyssa hadn't mentioned that. He nodded at her and took her hand from his face.

"I'll have one too, if you're doing..." she began, her voice just above a whisper and stopped at the sight of the strange man in the kitchen with a startled "Oh!". She tilted her head and blinked at him before moving closer to stand next to him.

"I'm Ffion," she introduced softly. "I rent a room here."

She gazed up and noticed his eyes. Her expression shifted to concern and she raised a hand to his cheek. "Are you all right?" she asked. "You poor, poor dear."

"I'm fine," he answered and held up another mug. "Tea or coffee?" he questioned as the kettle boiled.

"Tea," she replied softly and grabbed her tea from the cupboard and placed it on the counter. She leaned against the counter and gazed at him curiously as she toyed with the edge of her dressing gown, trailing her fingers from near her throat, down and then back up again.

He was lush for an older man. She wondered who he was. Another lodger? She smiled and shifted her attention to the box of tea she'd placed on the counter.

Gerald nodded and took a tea bag from the box and dropped it into the mug he had got out, he filled his own with coffee, then reached over to the fridge and got out the milk. He waited for the kettle to boil and then filled both mugs, he added milk to his own and to hers then held up the sugar.

"Yes or no?" he questioned her.

Ffion shook her head at the sugar and picked up her mug. "Thank you," she said and smiled at him. She took a sip of her tea and watched him.

Who was he? She moved over to the table and pulled a chair out for him to sit on and then sat down herself. She leaned her arm on the table and crossed her legs, pulling her dressing gown to cover her knee but let her calf remain uncovered. She looked idly out the kitchen window, but watched him out of the corner of her eye.

Gerald nodded and raised an eyebrow at her as he sat down opposite her on the other side of the kitchen table.

"You're welcome" he nodded at her and sipped his coffee slowly, studying her over the rim of his glass. He wondered why Alyssa hadn't told him that she had a lodger. He wondered where Ffion had been earlier today when he had arrived. Clearly not here or else he would have been introduced to her sooner than this. He tapped the side of his mug, at a loss of what to say to the girl opposite him. She was looking outside the window he glanced over at it, darkness. He sighed and took another gulp of coffee.

Ffion returned her gaze to Gerald, drawn by his sigh. She noticed he was studying her and smiled inwardly. She leaned her elbow on the table and put her chin in her hand and looked at him. She shifted her leg slightly and let the dressing gown fall off her knee.

"Just got back from Cardiff earlier tonight. Visiting the family for the holiday," she picked up her tea and sipped it and ignored that the top of her dressing gown had opened a bit. She toyed with her mug and leaned over with a sigh.

"Moving in with my brother tomorrow. Don't really want to if I'm honest, he's a neat freak," she said and gave him a sweet smile. She shrugged. "At least it will be a bit closer to work," she added.

Gerald looked at her closely and nodded quietly. Her dressing gown was leaving little to the imagination and he was feeling a little uncomfortable. He took a gulp of coffee and closed his eyes for the briefest of moments.

"Where do you work?" he asked courteously as he set his mug down and cradled his hands around it to try and absorb some of the heat radiating off it.

"I waitress in that new restaurant," she replied and waved her hand in the general direction of it. Her brow furrowed with worry and she leaned and put a concerned hand on his wrist.

"Are you all right?" she asked, her tone reflecting her concern. "I won't lie to you, you don't look well at all," she added. She stood up and moved around the table and put a hand on his forehead and moved it slowly down to his cheek.

"You're cold," she whispered. She bit her lip and hurried into the front room. She grabbed the throw from the back of the couch and hurried back into the kitchen. She put a hand on his back between his shoulders and leaned him forward so she could wrap the throw around his shoulders. She leaned over in front of him and pulled the throw close around him. She gnawed her lip and threw her hands up as she shook her head. She straddled his lap, wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. She adjusted the throw so it draped over her shoulders as well and pressed herself to him.

She put her chin on his shoulder and sighed. If he didn't warm soon, she'd go and get Alyssa or Jack, surely they were home.

Gerald's eyes widened as Ffion climbed onto his lap. He felt fine, better than he had in while. He didn't feel ill. Not that he had got the chance to voice his thoughts, she had been too insistent. Now he was even more uncomfortable. His hands settled on her waist as he tried to ease her off him gently.

"Ffion, I'm fine. I just got in that's why I might feel cold," he murmured as he pushed her hips away from his. "I'm fine," he mumbled again.

Ffion leaned back and looked at him.

"Sorry," she apologized softly. "But you did look pale and a bit peaky so I had to wonder didn't I? I wasn't trying to upset you," she added earnestly.

"You're much warmer though, so that's something at any rate," she said with a small smile. "I think I could warm you up even more," she whispered in his ear then moved back to face him and kissed him.

Gerald was slightly taken aback by the sudden feel of Ffion's lips against his, he leaned back in the chair and found himself pulling her back towards him and melting into her, she was warm and her body was welcome against his. The hands around her waist pulled her flush against him as he kissed her back, hard. It had been too long since he had been on the receiving end of something like this, far too long. He wasn't about to turn it away. His hand moved up her body and skimmed over the material that was barely covering her until he cupped her cheek. He pushed her face closer to his as he willing took everything she was prepared to give him

Ffion felt the thrill jolt through her as he kissed her back and pulled her tight to him. She broke off the kiss and looked at him.

"Let's go," she whispered and took his willing hand and led him up to her room.


	6. Chapter 6

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 6**

The beeping of her phone woke Rowan from her slumber. She cracked open an eye and sighed. It was light outside. She paused a moment to feel a small bit of happiness at waking up in someone's arms. She let out a small groan and shifted in Ray's grasp to grab her phone from the bedside table. She picked it up and read the text.

"Oh no!" she gasped and dropped her phone back onto the table. She hurriedly turned to Ray.

"Ray, Ray," she hissed, and gave his shoulders a slight shake. "You have to wake up."

She climbed from the bed and grabbed her robe and slung it on as she went into JT's room and hurriedly mussed the bed, then ran for the door of the flat, pulling her robe closed and tying it as she went. She stopped short and ran back into the bedroom and grabbed her phone from the table. She glanced at Ray in the bed.

"I'll say I slept in JT's room," she said to herself and nodded. She hurried from the bedroom, grabbed JT's spare robe from his room and laid it on the bed next to Ray before hurrying out, making sure to quietly close the bedroom door behind her. She jumped at the knock on the door. Chris. She dropped her phone into the pocket of her robe and went to open the door.

"Sorry," she said softly as she opened the door. "I slept in since I'm opening late today."

She put her fingers across her lips.

"Not too loud," she cautioned Chris and he looked at her in confusion.

"What's going on?" he asked and carefully closed the door.

"Ronnie kicked Ray out. I found him drinking in the park and made him come here. He's sleeping in there," she said and pointed to the door of the bedroom. He looked at her. She shrugged.

"I should have pointed out exactly which room was JT's," she said and rolled her eyes. "If he's not up before you decide to go to bed just sleep in JT's room."

She put the coffee on and then went into the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her lips were slightly swollen, but she didn't think Chris would notice. She pulled open her robe and looked at herself in the mirror, front and back before tying it closed again. She flushed the toilet and went back into the kitchen. She didn't feel guilty. She knew she should. She went into JT's room where Chris was putting the bed in some semblance of order. He looked at her.

"I need my pajamas," he said. She nodded and looked at the closed door of the bedroom before looking back at Chris. "There's some in the clean laundry bag," she said and went into the front room and grabbed up the bag of laundry. She'd had it done Christmas Eve, but hadn't gotten around to putting it away. She rummaged out what Chris wanted and handed them to him.

She heard her phone ring and pulled it from her pocket. Syed. She walked from JT's room, closing the door behind her so Chris could change and went into the kitchen to make her coffee as she answered the phone.

"Yeah, hi, Syed. Yes, still going to do the brunch thing," she said as she stirred her coffee. She glanced at the kitchen clock. "Um, let's say an hour and a half. I know, I only just woke up. Well, Ffion will be here and the food won't be that difficult, really. I can cook fast enough if need be and we can always call Molly if we need help. Okay, see you then, bye."

She took her coffee, sat down at the table, sighed and took a sip of her coffee. She wondered what time Ray had to be at work, or if he had to work.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Ronnie woke up and heaved a great breath. She buried her face in Ray's pillow and inhaled before letting it go and climbing from the bed. She went into the kitchen and switched on the kettle, leaning against the counter while she waited. She drew her hand across her belly. Ray's doubt was still a fresh, raw wound. Could she forgive him? She wanted to. But everything he was to her was founded on the trust and belief he had professed to have in her. Now that was gone. She rubbed her face and fixed her tea and took a sip. She went into the bedroom and opened the wardrobe and put a carryall bag on the bed.

She began pulling out some of Ray's clothes, folding them neatly and putting them in the bag. She packed him enough for a week and then got him underclothes and pajamas from the dresser drawer. She folded up his dressing gown and put it in as well before going into the bathroom and getting his things from there. She needed some time. She would take his things to the station or find him if he wasn't there and give them to him. He probably stayed at Chris'. They had the room since JT always seemed to be staying at the pub with Roxy.

She finished packing the bag and then drained her tea and headed for the shower.

Ronnie finished showering and got dressed and dried her hair. She stood in the doorway of the bedroom and stared at the bag for a few minutes before picking it up. She grabbed the spare key she'd made to the shed. She'd given him the bike and wouldn't keep him from being able to get to it. She slung the bag over her shoulder and made her way downstairs and outside. She adjusted the bag against her back and headed towards the station.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Ray grunted as he heard Rowan speak and moaned at the loss of her in his arms. He grabbed JT's dressing gown as he opened his eyes blearily and attempted to put it on without moving too much. He just wanted to sleep. He had worn himself out and he just wanted to feel better.

He listened quietly to Rowan and Chris. He felt guilty. From what Rowan was saying to Chris and the lies she was telling, she had no plans to tell Chris the truth. Ray sighed. He could tell Chris, face his best mate with the truth that he had shagged his wife. Twice in one night. Not that he had to tell Ronnie, she had chucked him out. His heart twisted. She didn't want him anymore. He buried his face in the pillow, his arms ached to be wrapped around her gorgeous body, to be able to smell the light perfume of her hair and skin, to hear her small snuffling sleepy sounds as she slept snuggled into him, safe in his arms.

But that wasn't going to happen. Any of it. She didn't want him. She had thrown him out. Because he had a small amount of doubt. Because he had listened to her drunk, twisted cousin. Because he had believed that she could do that to him. His gut twisted at the hurt he had seen in her eyes; the hurt he had caused.

And she was pregnant. With his kid. Surely she wouldn't stop him from seeing the kid. She wasn't cold enough. He sighed at his memories of her. She wasn't cold at all. She was alive, vulnerable and his. She was his. His temper flared at the mere thought of another man touching her. She was his. He growled into the pillow. He would grovel and plead and promise until she took him back. He didn't want to be without her. He would do anything for her.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Alyssa sighed and ran her fingers over Jack's chest slowly as she watched him sleep, his chest rising and falling with every breath he took, the occasional sigh, and that crooked smile on his face. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of it.

Alyssa stretched smoothly and eased herself slowly out of his arms and slipped out of the bed and grabbed her dressing gown. She tied it tightly around herself. It would be strange without having Ffion around. Quiet. It would be quiet. But her Dad was here. So surely there would always be someone in. The house would never be empty. She hoped. She could still remember how empty the place had seemed when Chris and Rowan had moved out. She sighed and looked back over at her sleeping fiancé. She grinned and tiptoed her way to the bathroom, doing her best not to disturb him

Alyssa smiled at the still figure of Jack still asleep on the bed as she finally emerged from the bathroom, after showering and brushing her teeth. She had towel dried her hair so it was no longer dripping while she was in there so for now she didn't have to worry about it. She didn't want to wake him with the hairdryer. Alyssa made her way to her wardrobe to find something to wear and she dressed swiftly in a long jumper top and a pair of leggings. She slipped on some thick ski socks and closed the bedroom door on her sleeping lover silently.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Alex had been up far too early. Sam had been crying and restless, she had ended up talking to him while pacing up and down her small enclosed room. He had eventually settled back into a peaceful slumber, but she hadn't been able to sleep. She had sat back down in her bed and held him in her arms quietly. She had noticed that he copied his father's pout more when he was asleep. It was adorable. She smiled to herself. They were going home, finally. She had had enough of hospitals. She wanted to be at home with Gene and Molly. In her home, with her family and none of these nurses and pieces of equipment waking her up with their incessant beeping all the time. They needed and off switch. But unfortunately they were vital for something or other and needed to stay on at all times. So she accepted it, but seethed silently inside her head every-time they went off. She needed something to occupy her and the book had been finished. So thoughts of home had to do for now.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Chris came out of JT's room and looked at Rowan sitting there sipping her coffee. He did still love her. Rowan looked up and saw him gazing at her. She stood and walked over to him but stopped before getting too close.

"I'm going to get some sleep now. I hope you have a good turnout for the buffet," he said to her stiffly.

"Thanks," she said softly and looked at the floor. She looked back up. "Chris, I…." she began and he held up a hand and shook his head.

"Not now, Rowan, I'm tired."

"But, it's not all me, Chris. You're not being fair," she pleaded and reached for him.

"I said, not now," he repeated, slightly colder and stepped away from her. "Please," he said and paused, "don't touch me."

Rowan pulled her hand back and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Just at least tell me if there's someone else, I deserve that much," she asked quietly.

"Rowan, leave it," he said in a low tone. "I'm too tired for this."

He stepped into JT's room and shut the door before she could say anything else.

She sniffed and swallowed hard before turning to go back into the kitchen. She stared at her coffee on the table. She didn't want it anymore. She felt the tears spill over and covered her face with her hands. She went into the front room and sat on the couch. She pulled her feet up and wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her face in her knees. Why couldn't he see part of her behavior was because of him? He seemed to deny that he'd done anything wrong.

Rowan felt the tears finally taper off. She took several deep breaths and raised her head. She sniffed and wiped her face with her sleeve.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Chris rolled over and closed his eyes. He knew she was crying. He'd seen her face before he'd shut the door. He didn't like hurting her, but she didn't seem to see that he was hurt, too. Her coldness had hurt more than he could say. He didn't know what he was supposed to have done that had caused her to go so cold. What was so wrong with wanting your wife to have a child? He was being patient. He tried to be understanding every month when she realized she wasn't. He shook his head in annoyance and drifted off to sleep.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Gerald rolled over and found himself on the edge of what appeared to be a small bed. He sat up and prevented himself from falling off. His eyes adjusted to the gloom around him and he frowned. Where was he? This room he hasn't seen before. He dropped his head to look down as he heard the sound of someone else's breathing. He gulped as he recognized Ffion's face.

Gerald silently berated himself as he grabbed his clothes and dressed hurriedly. The first small touch from a woman, a girl, and he lost control. He could kick himself. Gerald looked over to make sure she wasn't awake. If he got back to his room now then maybe he could avoid awkward questions from his daughter. Ffion said she was going to live with her brother. Today. If he had a late morning maybe he could avoid her until she left?

He slunk from her room and shut the door with a sharp snap. He paused and held his breath. Hearing no sound from inside the room he exhaled. Now, all he had to do was cross the landing. He turned and froze.

Alyssa watched her father as he spun and raised an eyebrow. He hadn't. Surely he hadn't. She let her jaw drop as she stood opposite him.

"Good morning, Alyssa."

She glared at him.

"Care to explain?" she said frostily as she looked pointedly at Ffion's bedroom door.

Gerald's mind whirred hastily. He nodded at her with a bemused expression.

"I wasn't sure which room was the bathroom and..." he trailed off as Alyssa pointed to the bathroom door, which was wide open as usual.

"Try again," she snapped.

Gerald sighed.

"Alyssa..." he began, feeling defeated.

"SHE'S YOUNGER THAN ME!" she shrieked at him. "I CANT BELIEVE YOU!"

Gerald visibly winced as Alyssa stalked past him and ran downstairs. He hurried to his room and shut his door. He had hoped to avoid that situation. He sighed and held his head in his hands. What a brilliant way to begin his renewed relationship with his daughter. Commuting adultery under her roof. Great.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Alyssa was fuming. One day. Less than that he had been in her home. And he had slept with Ffion. She ran a hand over her face. That was one mental image she could do without. She let out a shaky sigh as the kettle boiled. She had probably woken Jack up now as well. She stamped her foot in frustration. How could he! She didn't like her Mum but her Dad was still married to her! She could understand why he had done it. But with someone young enough to be his daughter. Someone younger than his youngest child for Gods sake! He could have at least waited a day or two. Not jumped into bed with the first willing female he found.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ffion sat bolt upright at Alyssa's shriek.

She looked around in a panic and heard feet running down the stairs. He was gone, she noticed. She smiled and flopped back on the bed. That had been fantastic! Nothing like an older man that knew what he was doing! She rummaged in her closet for jeans and a top to wear to work and then carefully folded up the rest of her clothes and stacked them in a pile on her bed. She would take her carryall to work with her and see if the laundrette next door was open so she could get her clothes washed before Rhys moved her into his flat.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Jack's eyes flew open when he heard Alyssa shriek. He frowned and climbed out of bed. What the bloody hell was going on? He grabbed him pajama pants and then pulled on his robe and went downstairs. He could hear the shower going and knew someone was up.

He went downstairs and looked at Alyssa. He could tell by her posture she was upset.

He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"What happened?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Is Ray here?"

Ginger thought for a moment and shook his head. "He's in later."

Ronnie sighed and sat down. She fished her phone out of her pocket and tapped it. She looked back up at Ginger.

"Can you see what time he's in?"

Ginger nodded and went behind Adam's desk. Why wouldn't Ronnie know what time Ray was in? Why was she carrying around that big bag?

"11:00," Ginger finally said. Ronnie looked at her watch. Not quite 9 yet. She got up.

"Look, can you make sure Ray gets this when he gets here? I'll call him later, but I have to go."

Ginger nodded. Curiouser and curiouser. He opened the door for Ronnie so she could go and then took the bag and put it on Ray's desk. He went back and sat down at his desk and looked at Rhys.

"That is the weirdest thing," Ginger remarked.

"What?" Rhys wanted to know.

"Ronnie was just here. She wanted to know when Ray would be here and she brought a big bag and left it for him."

"Hmmm. Oh, did I tell you, Fee's going to move into the flat."

Ginger raised his brows.

"Yeah, I was talking about her behavior to Katie and we thought it would be best. So, I'm going to pick her up after work. I just hope it helps."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gene woke up and frowned at the clock. He yawned and climbed out of bed and went to the kitchen to switch on the kettle. He drank his tea and stared at the clock. He wondered what time Alex would be out of the hospital.

He finished his tea and went to have a shower and get ready. He knocked on Molly's door.

"C'mon Molly, you're mum's home today."

Molly tossed in her bed and smiled. Mum was home. With Sam. She grinned and mumbled something in response to Gene. She buried her face into her pillow and smiled. One big happy family.

She scowled as her alarm clock went off and reached out blindly to turn it off. She dragged herself out of bed and pulled out some clothes before making her way to the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

Gene sat at the table with another cup of tea, waiting for Molly to get ready. He went to the phone and dialed Alex's number.

"It's me, Bolls, what time are they letting you out? Do you know yet? We'll be over soon, Molly's just showering now," Gene said when he heard Alex's voice.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa looked up at Jack and sighed.

"I didn't mean to wake you. I'm sorry," she told him as she reached for her mug and his too. She made them both a cup of tea and handed his to him.

"I caught Dad coming out of Ffion's room wearing what he was wearing last night," she told him softly as she held her mug to her lips. She took a careful sip and placed the mug back on the counter. "I mean, I know she likes older guys and everything, but seriously! My dad!" she shuddered and looked up as she heard footsteps on the stairs.

Ffion took her things and went into the bathroom and took a shower. She braided her hair, fixed her face and got dressed before going downstairs to have her tea. She bounded downstairs, a cheery smile on her face.

"Morning," she chirped at Jack and Alyssa as she rinsed out her mug and pulled her tea out of the cupboard.

Jack groaned and ran his hands over his face at Alyssa's comment. He saw Ffion enter the kitchen and picked up his tea that he'd put down and took a sip.

She nodded cordially as Ffion entered the kitchen.

"Morning," she replied, watching the younger girl.

"Morning, Fee," he said and then glanced at Alyssa before looking back over at the girl. "You're cheerful this morning."

The corner of his mouth quirked and he looked at Alyssa with an eyebrow raised.

"Oh, I just had the most brilliant night. It was completely and utterly lush, if I'm honest," she enthused and finished making her tea. She went into the hall and grabbed up a small box she'd left next to her handbag and put it on the table as she sat down. She opened the box and pulled out a length of red and green ribbon she'd braided together and started tying it into her hair.

"Did you have a nice holiday? I did. Did you see Rhys? Did he tell you he's moving me in with him and Shaz? I suppose I don't mind but I'm going to miss my room here, and he's too neat," she rambled on as she finished tying the ribbon into her hair and then pulled out some Christmas bows and began pinning them to the ribbon.

"Yes, we saw Rhys last night in the pub, he mentioned it," Jack replied blandly and took another sip of his tea. He turned away from Alyssa with a wink and went to pull food from the fridge to make breakfast.

Alyssa raised her eyebrows. She cringed as Ffion spoke. She really didn't want to know. She covered her repugnance from Fee and smiled at her.

"Christmas was great thank you, especially Christmas Eve," she said with a cryptic grin. "And yeah, Rhys told me last night about you moving in with him and Shaz," she confirmed.

She took a long sip from her mug and her lips curved as a thought came to her

"Did you meet my Dad, yet? I don't suppose you did, he didn't get in until late last night. He's living here for a while," she told her casually as she cradled her mug.

Ffion's hands dropped to the table as she turned in Alyssa's direction. She felt the color drain from her face and her mouth dropped open as she realized who the man must have been. She closed her mouth and swallowed hard.

"Your…." she squeaked and swallowed again, "your dad? Um," she looked down and picked up the bow that had dropped in her lap. "I…I…woke up last night and came down to make some tea. He was in here, making coffee. I didn't know he was your dad, he didn't say who he was," she said in a small voice.

"I…um…I'm sorry….I have to go to work," she said in a rush and got up from the table.

Jack stared at the pan as he placed the bacon in it and let out a soft sigh. He grimaced at Alyssa's tone and Ffion's answer, but did not dare to get involved. He had no desire to be on the receiving end of Alyssa's temper.

Alyssa watched her go and looked up at the ceiling. She scowled and dumped her mug in the sink. She felt a little bad, he hadn't told Ffion who he was! What was he playing at! She looked at Jack's back and then back at the stairs. And he was too much of a coward to face them. "I'm gonna kill him," she muttered as she fell into a kitchen chair and placed her palms on her cheeks and her elbows on the table as she held her head up and stared at the wooden surface in front of her.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ray listened as he heard sounds cease outside the bedroom. He frowned. He raised his head from the pillow and listened. Nothing. No sound at all. He swung himself off the bed and grabbed his clothes. He dressed in them scruffily and padded out of the room. The other bedroom door was shut and he could just about make out someone's breathing coming from behind it. Chris? He reckoned so.

Ray looked around and spotted a small blond figure on the sofa. Rowan. He frowned again. He had heard their conversation. He sank down onto the sofa next to her and looked over.

"D'you need a hug?" he asked opening his arms to her.

Rowan looked at him a moment before unfolding herself from where she sat and curling up against him. She wiped at her face again with her sleeve.

"I suppose you heard?" she asked softly. "It's been like that for a few weeks now," she confessed. "I'm beginning to wish I'd never decided to stay here. At least back then, I was alone by choice. But now, it hurts so much. We…we've been trying to have a baby. Brian damaged me, back when he and I were married, and the doctor explained it would probably take awhile, but to be patient. It's only been five months, but you'd think it was years. After the third month, when once again we discovered I wasn't, there was this look on his face, like….like I wasn't a proper woman. He held me and told me it was okay, and we would just keep trying because he liked trying, but I could feel it, I could see it, I think he forgets sometimes that I can. I did something then that, well I'm not proud of it, but I did it anyway. I'm not normally vindictive, but I was so hurt and angry I couldn't help it. I decided that if I wasn't a proper woman, then he wouldn't get proper sex. I know him well enough to know what works so that's what I did. One night, a couple of weeks later, we were, um…you know and nothing happened. He didn't respond to me at all. We had an argument. He blew up, I blew up, it was bad. He left and didn't come home that night. The next day, he came home after work and he said he would be working nights the next few weeks. He only touches me in front of other people, pretending everything is okay, but it's not. He won't accept my apologies, he won't let me touch him," she sat up and looked up at Ray. "I love him so much, I want to fix this, but I'm not sure I can. I think he's going to leave."

She dropped her face to Ray's chest and sniffed. She didn't want to cry again.

Ray held her. He was really bad when it came to women that cried. He could just about handle it when Ronnie did. But other people he tended to avoid when they cried, unwilling to get involved. But Rowan clearly needed someone and he was here, a ready-made shoulder to cry on. He closed his arms around her gently and rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"Who else knows?" he asked softly as he rocked her smoothly from side to side, a slow, calming movement that he hoped would help her get back in control.

"I haven't been able to tell anyone, not until now."

She sat up again and looked at Ray.

"I won't ask you what happened with Ronnie, but JT's room is open, you can use it as long as you need to until you've worked it out with Ronnie," she glanced at the clock. "If you want to come downstairs with me, I'll make you some breakfast before you go to work. I assume you have to go in today. I need to get busy anyway. Do you need to use the shower now? I can get you a towel, or if not, you can watch me cook," she gave him a small smile. "Thank you, for everything," she added softly and kissed his cheek.

She got up and went into the bedroom and pulled on the oversized t-shirt and leggings she was going to wear to bed last night before Ray had altered those plans.

Ray watched her go.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shaz sighed as she finished making up Fee's room. No doubt it would be ridiculously messy within about 5 seconds of her getting here. She chuckled to herself. Ffion was incredibly messy, but Rhys was stupidly neat. Shaz smiled to herself. He was such a neat freak.

Shaz left the room and collapsed down on the sofa and switched on the TV. It would have to be the day when she got to go in late was the day that she woke early. She sighed as she channel surfed. Morning TV. She landed on GMTV and left it on as she went to get some breakfast. She sent off a text to Rhys telling him that the bedroom was all ready for Ffion.

Rhys read Shaz' text and smiled.

"Good, will pick her up after work. Xo"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ronnie headed to the doctor's surgery. She registered with Dr. Bond and enjoyed her consultation with him. He was very pleasant to talk to. He examined her ankle while she was there and scolded her for putting too much weight on it. She got a referral for an OB/GYN and headed to the club. She'd do her financials, get those emailed off to Jack and then she was going to have a talk with Phil. He'd caused this mess, he would fix it. She got to the club and went straight to the office and started on her paperwork and checked for New Year's Eve bookings. She was slightly relieved to see only one, but the club would still likely be busy.

She did a quick stock check and phoned in and left a message with an order so she would have plenty for New Year's Eve. She scrawled a quick note to Sarah and left.

/\\/\\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alex's eyes widened as she heard her phone start to vibrate against the plastic table where she had left it. She grabbed it before it could make any more noise and wake her baby. She pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?" she asked quietly as she settled back down and ignored the scathing look from that one nurse that seemed to hate her for some reason.

"It's me, Bolls, what time are they letting you out? Do you know yet? We'll be over soon, Molly's just showering now," Gene said when he heard Alex's voice.

Alex smiled and relaxed backwards into the cushions.

"I'll ask the nurse when she comes back. Hopefully this morning. There's been no complications or anything. We're both fine. So, yeah, hopefully soon."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly came out of the bathroom, fully dressed with a towel on her head. She smiled at Gene and grabbed herself some toast. She heard her mum's voice coming out of the phone and smiled.

"Good. So, as soon as she's ready we'll be on our way. Looks like she's nearly there," he remarked. He held out the phone to Molly. "It's your mum," he told her.

Molly rolled her eyes at him.

"I guessed that," she said charming as she took the phone from him.

"Hey, Mum. How's life."

"Morning, Molls and boring. Really boring," Alex laughed back.

"Is Sam awake?" Molly enquired curiously as she grabbed the butter.

"No, fast asleep. So shush," Alex retorted good-naturedly.

"When are you home Mum?"

"Today," Alex replied.

"You don't say!" Molly smiled back sarcastically. "What time?"

"I'll get back to you on that. I've got to check with the nurse, but there's nothing wrong with either of us so it shouldn't be too long."

Gene shook his head. Hadn't he just asked those exact same questions? He sighed and went outside to smoke.

Molly smiled. She couldn't wait for Alex to get back. She grinned over at Gene as he went outside and sat herself down with her breakfast.

"Should you be using a phone in hospital?"

"Technically, no," Alex admitted. "But either the nurses are too intimidated by Gene to say anything or they see no point in telling me off, they're not going to stop me," she chuckled. "I get some filthy looks, though."

Molly giggled. "What time do you want us down there?"

Alex chewed her lip as she looked down at Sam and thought. "Give it an hour or so. They've got to sort out all our forms and everything else. They'll probably want to check us both over first, too."

Molly nodded. "Okay. I'll tell Gene when he gets back inside. He's..."

"Gone for a smoke," Alex guessed with a smile.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Ginger frowned and then picked up the phone and called Ray. He should know about the bag and couldn't be sure if Ronnie had called and let him know.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

"You're welcome, and thanks," Ray called after her as she dashed off. Ray looked down as his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out and answered it. "Carling."

Rowan got dressed then went into the bathroom and washed her face. She brushed out her hair and pulled it back into a tail before going back into the front room. She saw Ray was on the phone and gestured at him to follow her as she walked out the door and headed downstairs to the restaurant. She began pulling out pans so she could get started on the stuff for the buffet. She got bacon and eggs going and then hurriedly chopped up some of the potatoes she already had prepared that she put in breakfast burritos. She rummaged out the tortillas and quickly began to put a burrito together for Ray before starting some tea.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

"Yeah, hi, it's Ginger. Um, Ronnie was here a few minutes ago and she left a big bag for you here. She asked me to put it on your desk. I thought I should let you know. I'm not sure if she called you already or not," Ginger explained uncertainly. "I hope everything is okay."

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Ray looked up as Rowan reappeared and followed her downstairs as he listened to Ginger. "Not really, Ginger," he sighed. "But thanks for letting me know. I'll be in around 11. I'll see you then," he added as he collapsed at a table near to the kitchen.

Rowan walked over to Ray and put a cup of tea and a plate in front of him with a breakfast burrito on it. She looked at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly and sat across from him.

Ray looked up and shut his phone off and put it back into his pocket. His took a bite of the burrito gratefully and shrugged.

"She's left me a bag at work. Looks like she doesn't want me anymore," he said in a resigned tone. Looked like she had made it official. She had actually chucked him out.

"It can't be quite that final, Ray. They just said 'bag' right? Maybe she just needs a few days to cool off. Look, I know she's pregnant which means it might take her longer to cool down." She held up a hand. "No, she didn't tell me. Just accept that sometimes I know things," she sighed.

"I need a shower so I'll be upstairs for a bit. I'll be down to let you out in plenty of time for you to get to work," she told him and gave him a quick, one-armed hug.

Ray stared after her. Sometimes she confused him terribly. This just happened to be one of those times. How did she know everyone's secrets like that? He shrugged and took another bite of his burrito.

Rowan hurriedly showered and dried her hair. She put it up again and got dressed in jeans and a t-shirt for the day before bounding back downstairs. She fixed herself a cup of coffee and then grabbed the pot of tea and went out to refill Ray's cup. She sat back down across from him with her coffee and took a sip.

"I won't tell anyone, Ray. I keep my own counsel," she told him quietly. She didn't want him to think she'd go around telling his business. "How's the food," she asked to change the subject.

She took another sip of her coffee and realized the undertone of nervousness she'd always had around Ray had vanished. She wondered at that. Although, after last night….well. She felt her face warm at the memory and hurriedly took another sip of her coffee. She would keep it among her favorite memories, especially if she ended up alone again. She pushed that thought away and kept her expression pleasant.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Gerald heard the front door shut and looked out of his window. Ffion was hurrying away. He sighed. At least now he could avoid her, she wouldn't be living here. He opened his bedroom door and made his way slowly downstairs. He could see Jack at the oven but not Alyssa. Maybe she wasn't around. That meant he wouldn't have to face her just yet. Good. She would be angry with him if her behaviour earlier was anything to go by. Alyssa looked up as she heard slow footsteps coming downstairs. She leant back in her chair and folded her arms. Waiting. Gerald sauntered into the kitchen casually and inhaled the smell of the bacon.

"Morning Jac..." he trailed off as he finally saw his daughter sitting at the kitchen table, glaring at him. He cleared his throat and nodded at her. "Alyssa."

She snorted. "What the hell were you playing at!" she spat. "You didn't even tell her who you were Dad!" Gerald blanched and sighed. "She didn't give me a chance."

Alyssa raised an eyebrow and glared at him stonily. "Don't give me that look, Alyssa. She practically threw herself at me. I was drinking a cup of coffee and next thing I know she's in my lap hugging me."

"And you saw that as an invitation to just jump into bed with her."

"No," he sighed. "I tried to get her off me."

"Sure," she snapped sarcastically Gerald frowned. "I did," he repeated. "But she kissed me first."

"Which was your opportunity to tell her No! You took it further, Dad," she said in exasperation.

"Well, you neglected to mention that you have a lodger Alyssa."

"So it's all MY fault that you slept with Fee!" she snarled and stood up. She pushed past him out of the kitchen and stormed upstairs.

Jack groaned inwardly and closed his eyes as Alyssa lashed out at her father. He kept his attention focused on the bacon and kept silent. He glanced back when he heard her go upstairs and sighed. He put the bacon on a plate and dropped some bread in the toaster. He looked at Gerald.

"I think she'll calm down soon enough," he told Gerald softly. "She knows, we both know," he corrected, "what Ffion is like. It's part of the reason her brother is moving her in with him. She's got issues that girl. Alyssa knows. If it wasn't you, she would have likely gone out and found some random bloke. I don't imagine Ffion made it easy to say no. I'm not condoning what you did, I don't want the wrath of Alyssa on my head, but I was in a vaguely similar situation once and so I can understand how it can happen, especially with a woman who won't take no for an answer."

He turned and grabbed the toast as it popped up and put it on a plate, then put the toast and the bacon on the table.

"I'd just stay out of her way until she cools off. Look, I have to go over to the school and pick up some paperwork after breakfast if you want to go with me," he offered and turned back to the stove to start on the eggs.

Gerald watched his daughter charged out of the kitchen and run upstairs. He closed his eyes for a moment then looked up at Jack. "Wise move. She'll hate me for saying it, but when she does get angry she reminds me of her mother," he told Jack as he grabbed a piece of toast and bit into it unenthusiastically.

"You're the head teacher? I remember you telling me last time we met," he said after swallowing. "I'll come along. Give her a chance to cool down," he nodded.

"Yes, been Head Teacher for two years now. Though this school isn't nearly as bad as my last one," he remarked as he sat down at the table. He put a plate with scrambled eggs on it in front of Gerald and sat down with his own. He grabbed bacon and toast and poured them both coffee.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa sat crossed legged on the bed and stroked the pattern on the quilt that Rowan had given her for Christmas. She hated getting angry, but she couldn't help it. Ffion was young enough to be his daughter and she hadn't known who he was. Her face had shown her shock when Alyssa had told her who Gerald was. Alyssa cradled her forehead in her hands and looked over at the clock. She frowned and reached under the bed. She pulled out her boots and slipped them on, stood up and ran a brush through her hair before blasting it with the hair dryer. She applied minimal makeup and grabbed her fluffy white coat from the wardrobe. She came back down stairs and grabbed her handbag off the counter as she went back into the kitchen. She planted a chaste kiss on Jack's cheek.

"I'm going to see Ro. I promised Chris I'd talk to her," she told him and left the house without looking at Gerald.

"I was Head in Rochdale, that was rough, but very rewarding," Jack remarked before starting on his food. He glanced up at Alyssa and smiled when she kissed him.

"I'll be over at the school if I'm not here when you get back," he called after her and sighed.

"Shame the salon is closed until after New Year, that would keep her busy," he said to Gerald.

Gerald raised his eyebrows. A salon? Pampering and stuff. Girly spa days and the like. He sighed. He could see Alyssa spending time doing things like that.

"Salon?" he questioned "Isn't that expensive?" he said with a frown as he stuck his fork into his eggs and took a mouthful

Gerald's eyes widened slightly. She was running a Salon. He hadn't expected that. Mind you, he hadn't really given much thought to his daughters career. He nodded.

"Good," he said contemplatively. He studied Jack for a moment and raised an eyebrow.

"So how long have the pair of you been together?" he asked as he spooned another mouthful of egg into his mouth.

"Well, I'd have to say around 8 months, now I think. It feels like longer, and I mean that in a good way," he grinned. "In fact, Rowan introduced us. It was a very….interesting morning," he chuckled. He took another bite of his food and smiled as he remembered that day he'd first seen her in the café. He shook his head and looked back at Gerald.

Gerald watched the emotions dance across Jacks face with interest. Interesting Morning? He raised an eyebrow sceptically but said nothing.

"So how long had you been together when you proposed to her. You can't have been together that long. I mean 8 months..." he trailed off "D'you not think that's a bit soon?"

"No, I don't think it's too soon. I was single by choice a long time before I met Alyssa. I've never met anyone like her. She's funny, extremely smart and she doesn't play games. She's up front and direct and I like that a great deal. My whole day brightens just to see her. It may sound soppy I know, especially from someone as cynical as I used to be, but, I can't see anyone but her in my life," he stated and picked up his empty plate and took it to the sink to rinse it off.

"I'll just go get dressed, then we can go," Jack continued and went upstairs.

Gerald watched Jack run back upstairs and sighed. At least she had found someone that appreciated her. He was happy, and the more he spoke to Jack the more he seemed to like the guy. That was good. Caroline's reaction to this would not be as smooth or straightforward however.

Gerald shook all thoughts if his wife from his head. They could deal with that when they got there. Alyssa didn't seem worried, not that she had a reason to be. Caroline was no longer interested in her daughter. Gerald wondered at the greeting he would get when he did finally go home.

He rinsed his plate in the sink once he has finished eating and grabbed his jacket from where he had left it last night when he had got in from the pub. He grabbed up his shoes and then went on a small private tour of the downstairs of the house while he waited for Jack.

Jack took a very quick shower and got dressed. He ran his hands through his wet hair, he'd need to get it cut soon and went back downstairs.

"Okay, all set," he announced and grabbed his coat and pulled it on. "I can show you around the Square a bit as well," he said, "and, the car has a heater so that's a bonus," he grinned and led Gerald outside and over to the car. He climbed in and got it started so the heat would have a chance to work, then got out and lit up a cigarette while he waited.

Gerald followed Jack outside and smiled in amusement as he lit up. Gerald copied him and sat on the small wall as he waited silently for the car to heat up. He looked around him and memorised everything he could.

Jack raised an eyebrow, he hadn't realized Alyssa's father smoked, she'd never said. He finished his cigarette and got into the car. Once Gerald was in, he headed out and drove around the Square, pointing out the salon, the chippy, R&R and various other places. He also drove past Rowan's new restaurant on the way to the school.

Once he'd arrived at the school, he led Gerald inside to his office and got the paperwork he planned to work on.

Jack smoked and waited for the car to heat up and glanced at his watch.

"It's 11:00, I thought maybe we could stop by Rowan's place, you could meet more people there and we could have a bit of lunch," he suggested.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ffion went and sat in the park. She didn't have to work yet but she couldn't bear to stay in the house another minute. She'd messed up big time. Alyssa's father of all things! She sighed regretfully, she'd really liked him.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa made her way towards Rowan's restaurant. She pulled her coat more firmly around her as the bitter cold winter air swirled around her. She wished she had remembered her gloves. Her hands were freezing. She dodged the frozen puddles so she wouldn't slip and smiled at the way the frost glittered on the pavement as the early sunlight hit it. She was glad she had left the house. She needed to calm down and that meant clearing her head. Walking it off was the best way. Even if it was freezing outside.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ffion saw Alyssa go walking past and huddled down so she wouldn't be seen. She noted the direction Alyssa went and grimaced. How would Ffion be able to face going to work if Alyssa was there?

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ray nodded at her and cracked a smile.

"Brilliant as always, Rowan. I'm surprised you feel the need to ask opinions anymore. Everyone around here knows that if you want something delicious to eat you go to wherever Rowan Tremaine is cooking," he grinned at her and took another huge bite out of the burrito.

A flash of colour outside caught his attention and he craned his neck to get a better look. He smiled and waved at Alyssa as she tapped gently on the glass and smiled at the pair of them.

She grinned at Ray and stood outside, looking pleadingly at them as she waited to be let inside.

Rowan blushed and looked down. "Thank you," she whispered and turned when she saw his attention diverted. Alyssa. She got up and went over and unlocked the door and let her in.

"Have I drafted you to cook today and forgotten?" Rowan asked curiously and smiled at Alyssa, though another pair of hands for some of the stuff would come in handy if she thought about it. She hurriedly shut the door and latched it again. She glanced at her watch. Syed would be arriving in less than an hour. Plenty of time.

"Do you want some coffee?"

Alyssa grinned at her as she stepped over the threshold. She smiled her good morning to Ray who had a mouthful full of food and then turned her gaze back to Rowan.

"Not unless I've forgotten too, but if you need me then I'm glad to help," she smiled back. "But I have an ulterior motive this morning," she sighed and gestured for Rowan to sit back down.

Ray swallowed his mouthful and studied the two women. No way was he hanging around.

"I'm...err... I'm gonna go and grab a shower Rowan," he said as he stood and took his plate through to the kitchen and then dashed back up to the flat.

Alyssa frowned slightly. Ray was staying? She shook the thought off and sat down next to Rowan.

"I spoke to Gem on the phone last night. She had a message for you which confused me until I spoke to JT and then Chris," she explained.

Rowan nodded absently at Ray as he beat a hasty retreat. "Towels are in the closet next to the bathroom," she called after him and shrugged. If he found them, he found them. She turned back to Alyssa and folded her arms as she sat down.

"Spoke to Chris, I see," she rolled her lips under her teeth and then sighed. "I don't suppose he told you everything? I'm sure he thinks he did nothing wrong. Lyss, he was there when the doctor told us that because of the damage it could take longer for me to get pregnant. Somehow, he's got it in his head that that means only by a month or so. She meant more like maybe a year or more. Lyss, the look on his face, when I turned up not pregnant again after we'd only been trying for three months! He thinks I'm not a proper woman. How is that fair to me? I'll admit, I never expected to have a vindictive streak in me, but it hurt so much. So, I decided he wouldn't have proper sex. But it all went so wrong and he went unresponsive on me. We had this huge argument and he did all the accusing while I did all the apologizing. Then, he went to work nights. I can't fix this, I can't. If he won't see that he's done wrong too, then it just, it won't work. I can't apologize anymore. I'm done with it," she sighed and grabbed her coffee and took a drink. "I find myself wishing I'd never stayed here. I was better off before. At least then, I chose to be alone."

She looked down at the table blinked back the tears that threatened, she wouldn't cry anymore. She was done with that.

Alyssa's eyes widened. Chris certainly hadn't mentioned that. She gulped and studied Rowan's face, she took one of her hands and held it in her own.

"Okay, firstly I'm going to give you a message from Gem, she told me, and this is as much as I can remember," she closed her eyes as she tried to recall the exact words that Gem had used. "Ease up or you're going to break things beyond repair and that you need to give up the total control you are so desperate for and apologise," she recited dutifully.

She let go of Rowan's hand and scrubbed at her face as she made an exasperated groan.

"I could bash your heads together I really could," she muttered before dropping her hands and taking hold of Rowan's hand again.

"You two need to talk. Properly. And if you can't do it on your own then you're going to do it with supervision," she said as she stood up and looked back down at her sister.

"Now you've made me go all Jeremy Kyle trying to fix your problems!" she sighed "Stay there and don't you dare move, Rowan Tremaine," she threatened as she made her way upstairs to wake Chris up. They were sorting this out today. Whether they liked it or not.

"Lyss, no," she gasped but Alyssa had gone. Rowan groaned and put her face in her hands. She dropped back onto the chair and huffed out an annoyed breath. This was not going to be pretty.

She sat and tried to work out what Gem had been talking about and shook her head. Gem hadn't known what was happening from Chris' end, that much was clear. She wasn't being too controlling now, thank you very much. She wasn't sure things hadn't already been broken beyond repair. She missed Chris a lot. She didn't want to lose him. They needed to put a stop to the whole thing of having a baby. Chris couldn't seem to get how long it might take, and Rowan was beginning to think she didn't really want kids. She dropped her chin in her hand and waited.

Syed would be here soon, so would Ffion. Rowan didn't relish the idea of so many people in her business. Why couldn't Alyssa just wait?

Alyssa went upstairs. She had both sides of the story, but she wasn't the one that needed both sides, they needed to talk and sort this out. And they were going to do it today. Alyssa looked inside the open bedroom door and frowned. No Chris. She looked at JT's room and shrugged. She threw open the door and spotted the sleeping man on the bed. She studied him for a moment, Alyssa decided that if he yelled at her then she would give back as good as she got, He was going to talk to Rowan whether he liked it or not.

Alyssa walked over to the window and pulled the curtains back to let the small amount of winter sunlight flood the room. She sat down on the bed and tapped Chris' shoulder.

"Wake up, Chris," she said impatiently.

Chris frowned as he felt someone poking at his shoulder. His eyes flew open at Alyssa's voice and he turned at looked at her.

"Alyssa? What the hell?" he grouched as he sat up and ran his hands over his face and through his hair.

Alyssa raised an eyebrow at him and stood, hands on her hips.

"You need to get up, make yourself decent and get your arse downstairs and into the restaurant. Now!" she told him as she watched his face. "And don't argue with me Chris because I will win," she snapped at him as she made her way to the bedroom door.

"And hurry up. I'm not in the best of moods," she informed him as she left and sped past Ray as he came out of the shower.

Ray watched her march past him and widened his eyes at Chris.

"Someone's cheery this morning," he commented as he ran a hand through his hair. "Y'alright mate?"

"No, I'm not, I'm bloody exhausted," he groaned. "The last thing I need is another woman in my face mad at me."

He frowned and walked across to his own room and pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He pulled the t-shirt on over his bare chest and then swapped his pajama pants for his jeans.

"What about you? Why in the world would Ronnie kick you out?" Chris asked as he walked past Ray and into the bathroom to splash cold water on his face.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ronnie went to the pub first.

"Hi, Aunty Peg, have you seen Phil?"

Peggy looked at Ronnie and raised her eyebrows.

"No darlin', I think he's still at home, why?"

"I just need to talk to him, thanks," Ronnie replied and walked back out. Peggy frowned and looked at Tracy .

"I'll be back," she said and followed Ronnie out.

"Ronnie, what do you mean, you need to talk to him?"

Ronnie sighed. "Just what I said, Aunty Peg, I just need to talk to him for a minute."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Peggy cautioned.

Ronnie stopped and looked at her. "I don't care. He's going to talk to me whether he likes it or not," she half-growled and went up to the door. She reached up and pounded on the door.

"Maybe he's not here," Peggy suggested. Ronnie glared at her and Peggy shut her mouth. Ronnie lifted her fist and pounded on the door again.

"All right, all right, keep yer hair on," Billy complained as he opened the door.

"What do you want, Ronnie?" he asked in a slightly aggrieved tone.

"Is Phil here? I need to talk to him, now," she said sharply and pushed her way in.

"Phil!" she called out as she got inside. "Where are you, Phil? I want to talk to you now," she demanded and turned on Billy.

"Where is he?"

"Kitchen, I think," Billy supplied nervously. Ronnie's brow furrowed and she went to the kitchen.

Phil turned, a cup of tea in his hand, and looked at Ronnie.

"What the bloody hell are you yowling about?" he grouched. Ronnie put her crutches aside and ignored the pain in her ankle as she walked over and slapped Phil hard across the face.

"You bastard, you hateful, spiteful, drunken loser of a bastard," she snarled as he reeled back against the counter, his cup of tea falling into the sink. Ronnie got close and put her finger in his face.

"You are going to talk to Ray and you are going to tell him the truth and you are going to fix this!"

"I'm not doing anything, I ain't done nothing wrong," he retorted smugly.

"All those things you said, yesterday, you are going to apologize and you are going to fix it," she shrieked at him.

"Why, it's not like he's anything special," Phil snorted.

Ronnie grabbed Phil's shoulders. "He's special to ME! PHIL!" she cried, "he's special TO ME! I love him and you've messed everything up with all that nonsense you spouted."

Phil laughed. "But it's not nonsense, it's the truth."

"Not anymore, Phil! Ray means everything to me. He's the first person who's ever just believed in me, when my precious family wouldn't, I might add. Now everything is all wrecked because of what you said and I want you to fix it!"

"How can what I said have caused any problems," Phil asked in annoyance. "I told the truth. You just don't want to hear the truth, crazy Ronnie."

"Here now, Phil," Peggy put in.

"Phil, that's bang out of order," Billy said in disgust.

"I'm not crazy, but I am angry as hell, Phil," Ronnie shouted and pounded at Phil's chest. He grabbed her wrists and shoved her away. Ronnie wobbled, but planted her bad ankle and stayed upright, though the pain was like a knife in her leg. Tears slipped down her cheeks, tears of anger and tears of pain from her leg. Phil looked slightly concerned for a moment and Billy put his hands on Ronnie's arms to make sure she was okay. She shrugged him off and he lifted his hands and backed away.

"Phil, do what Ronnie says. It wasn't right what you said," Peggy admonished.

Phil turned to Peggy. "Oh shut up, mum. You know I'm right, she doesn't love anyone. That poor bloke is nothing more than a sperm donor and the sooner he realizes it and gets away, the better."

Ronnie let out an annoyed shriek and slapped Phil, then grabbed him by the collar.

"You are going to go to Ray and you are going to apologize for what you said, you are going to tell him you were winding him up. You are going to fix this Ray so I can have him back," she howled and shook him.

Phil's eyes widened as he looked at Ronnie. He shoved her away and she couldn't catch herself. She flailed back with a startled cry. Billy rushed forward and grabbed her, falling with her. He landed on his back with a loud 'oof'. Peggy reached down and helped Ronnie off of Billy. Billy groaned in pain but let Peggy and Ronnie help him up.

"Thank you, Billy," Ronnie said and turned to Phil.

"We're family, Phil, and we're supposed to help each other out. You do this, you fix this or else, Phil. I can't have him thinking I would lie to him or break my promises, Phil. I've spent too much time being honest and telling him everything and trying to prove to him that he can trust me," she sobbed. "It's all ruined now because you had to go and shoot your drunken mouth off. I'll ruin things for you Phil if you don't fix this. I'll make sure Ian never convinces Ben to come home. I'll do whatever I have to do, to make you put this right. I love Ray, Phil, and I need him, I need him to be with me."

Phil rubbed his face and glared at Ronnie.

"I'll think about it, but I don't see why you're bothering," Phil sneered.

Ronnie limped across the room and grabbed her crutches. "That's because you've never really loved anyone but yourself, Phil. I'll do what I have to do for him to trust me again. I won't be without him."

Peggy put her hand on Ronnie's arm.

"But surely, darlin', if he can lose faith in you so easily..." Peggy began.

"It's not that simple, Aunty Peg," she said and turned to look at Phil. "I'm pregnant, so Phil's stupid remarks did quite a bit of damage," Ronnie snapped and pushed past her aunt and went to the front door.

"I mean it, Phil, you put this right," she warned and walked out.

She scrubbed at her face and took a deep breath once she got outside.

Phil gazed after her, then looked at Peggy.

"I think she means it, Phil. If you ever want to see Ben again, you better do what she wants," Peggy suggested and then left, too. Phil leaned back on the counter and blew out a breath. He'd think about it. Nobody told Phil Mitchell what to do.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ffion spotted Syed walking across the Square and hurried over to walk with him.

"Hiya," she said, brighter than she felt.

"Hi, Ffion, did you have a nice holiday?"

"Oh, yeah, thanks, home was brilliant as usual. Did you have a nice one?"

"I did actually. Christian and I cooked for his sister Jane and for Peter. We had a nice little dinner."

"Aw, that's so sweet."

She sighed and walked alongside him quietly.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ronnie went home and dropped onto the couch cursing Phil and his obstinacy. She meant what she said though. She could easily get Ian's number from Jane and have a talk with him about Ben. If Phil didn't fix this, she would. She hobbled into the bedroom and got her compress and then paused as she went back into the front room. She looked at the CDs on the shelf and pulled one out. Elton John. She put it in the CD player and put it on the song Ray had sung to her and hit repeat. She sat back down on the couch, put the compress on her ankle and then wrapped her arms around Ray's pillow and listened to Elton sing about the blues.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Bradley left the café and noticed Ffion walking along with Syed. He'd seen her on occasion, but didn't know her very well. He shrugged. He and his father both had discussed giving women a wide berth but he couldn't help watch her as she walked by.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jane opened the café and looked at the few baked good from Rowan that she had left. She thought she remembered Rowan saying she was going to be open for a short time today, doing a brunch buffet. She wondered if she might be able to get some more baked things from her if she had time. She grabbed out her phone and called Rowan.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan heard her phone ring and pulled it from her pocket.

"Hi, Jane, what do you need?"

"Is there any chance you'll have time for some baking today? I'd love to send Christian over to pick up some muffins," Jane replied.

"Well, I'm a bit busy just now, but I'll definitely be doing some baking today. I need to try and get ahead. Do you mind if it's not until say, 3ish?"

"No, that would be fine. I have enough hopefully to get through the morning and if people go over to yours then that just means what I have will last longer," Jane chuckled.

"Okay. Text me what you need and I'll get on it."

"Thanks, Rowan."

"No problem, Jane," Rowan said and flipped her phone shut.

Ray leant against the door frame and sighed.

"I didn't trust her and now she's mad at me, but our whole relationship was based on the fact that I trusted her and didn't judge her, now I've doubted her over one thing and she saw red and chucked me out," he mumbled. "She's left a bag of stuff for me at the station."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa sat back down next to Rowan and waited until she finished her phone call.

"He's on his way down" she said with a small sigh "I know he's working nights and feel bad for waking him and everything, but you two need to get this sorted" she told Rowan as she tapped her fingers on the table. What was taking Chris so long? She looked back over at the stairs to the flat and stood again, she made her way over and leant against the banister.

"Chris! Get a move on," she called up and watched until he appeared.

"Sorry, mate," Chris mumbled and patted Ray on the shoulder. He heard Alyssa yell up at him and rolled his eyes. "Bloody women. Look, if Rowan hasn't already said, you can stay here as long as you need to," Chris told him and headed out of the flat, muttering 'keep your knickers on' under his breath.

He came downstairs and frowned at Alyssa. He saw Rowan sitting there, she didn't look any happier than he felt. He went and stood near where Rowan was sitting and folded his arm. "What's this about?"

"She intends to sort us out," Rowan mumbled.

"Sort us out? What's to sort?" he wanted to know, his voice going up a register. "There's no 'us' to sort."

Rowan looked up at him and stood up. "What?" she asked in shock, feeling ice run up her spine.

"You're the one needs sorting, Rowan. You need to stop being such a…a…." he trailed off in frustration.

"Failure as a woman because I can't get pregnant?" Rowan snapped.

He glanced at her in shock. "I never…" he began.

"You don't have to say it, Chris," she stepped close to him and grabbed his hand in both of hers so he couldn't pull away. "I can feel it Chris, the disappointment, oozing from you, like poison. How do you think that makes me feel? We've barely begun and already it's gone wrong. I'm damaged, we both know that. Exactly how long did you think it was going to take when the doctor told us it would take time? She meant it could take a year or two Chris, not a few measly months."

"I…I didn't think about it that way," he conceded. "But that still didn't give you the right to…to…go so cold in bed like you did."

"No, maybe it didn't and I've apologized for that more times than I can count Chris. But you have to see why. You hurt me and I got vindictive. I'm not proud of it, but it's not all me," she said softly.

"I'm sorry, Ro, I didn't mean to make you feel that way. You're incredible, the most amazing woman I've ever met. I'm so sorry for hurting you," Chris whispered, "I didn't realize."

Rowan nodded. "I want to stop, I won't go on anything, but I want us to put off this whole baby thing. I won't go to fertility treatments, I won't. So, I think we need to just let it go and focus on something else," she insisted.

Chris smiled and pulled Rowan into his arms. "Fine, I'm happy to do that."

Rowan sighed and pulled back and kissed him. She broke off the kiss and smirked up at him, Chris blushed and stepped away slightly. He took a deep breath and then looked over at Alyssa.

"Can I go back to bed now?" Chris whined.

Rowan bent over as laughter burst from her at Chris' plaintive question.

"I need to get to work," Rowan chuckled. She glanced over at the door and noticed Syed and Ffion standing outside. She rushed over to the door and let them in.

"Whoo, it's cold out there," Ffion commented. Syed chuckled and nodded his agreement.

Ffion's face fell as she saw Alyssa standing there. She dropped her head and followed right behind Syed to the kitchen. Rowan tilted her head and looked at Ffion in confusion and shrugged.

Rowan turned back to Alyssa. "It's after 10, if you're willing to help I'm going to need it if I'm going to have stuff ready for 11:30," she said.

Alyssa watched Rowan and Chris with a smile. Such a major breakdown in communications. They just needed to know what was in each others heads. She hugged Chris.

"Yes, now that you two are sorted you can go back to bed," she grinned at him as she let go. She looked up as Rowan let Syed and Ffion in and she heard Ffion's voice. She needed to apologise for being such a bitch. Ffion hadn't known who he was. To her he had been just another bloke. She nodded at Rowan with a smile and tied her hair back with the bobble on her wrist. "Just tell me what to do," she grinned.

Chris sighed and headed back upstairs and dropped onto the bed. He was glad he and Rowan had worked things out. He never meant her to think he thought she was a failure as a woman. She was anything but a failure. He barely finished the thought before he'd dropped off to sleep.

"Good," Rowan said and led her into the kitchen. She stood Alyssa in front of one of the islands and started putting plastic containers in front of her.

"Okay, here's your pita," she pointed. "Here's the meat, the cheese and the vegetables," she gestured. She quickly showed Alyssa how she wanted the wraps assembled and then looked at her. "Make about a dozen turkey, a dozen of the roast beef and a dozen chicken. There's more stuff in the reach-in over there," she pointed and grinned and left Alyssa to it so she could get started on the breakfast foods.

She hurriedly covered half the grill with sausages and the other with bacon and then started putting her sauté pans out on the hobs and began to dump the chopped and seasoned potatoes into them to cook. She had Syed prep the scrambled eggs for her and then set him to baking. She was going to need biscuits and muffins, she sighed and decided to skip the croissants. She put Ffion to work at the cooling table cutting up fruit.

Rowan hurriedly finished the first batch of meat and potatoes and filled the chafing dishes. She went into the dining area and looked around for Ray. She didn't see him and hurried upstairs.

"Ray, I know you need to leave for work, but can you help me move this one table real quick before you go?" she pleaded and hurried back downstairs.

Ray rolled his eyes at Rowan with a grin.

"I suppose I could manage," he answered with a chuckle and slipped on his shoes before following her downstairs. He looked around as easily lifted the table for her and moved it to where she wanted it to be, the replaced the items that had originally been on it before waving at everyone in the kitchen and grabbing his coat around him.

Rowan watched Ray with a smile as he left. She turned back to the tables and hurriedly put the chafing dishes out. She put out the food she'd cooked and went back and started mixing up pancake batter.

"Fee, can you go and get the juice set up and get the coffee and tea started," Rowan checked her watch and left the batter to check on the baking.

Ffion nodded and went into the dining room to set up the juice dispensers.

Syed grinned at Rowan as she came over and started putting the biscuits and the muffins that were finished and putting them in the display baskets and carrying them out. She went back into the kitchen and took the wraps Alyssa had finished and put her to work making a large bowl of chicken Caesar salad.

"Okay, I think that's good enough," she sighed and went to unlock the door and flip the sign.

She went back into the kitchen. "I've opened the door," she grinned and started on the pancakes.

Alyssa chuckled lightly and carried on with what she was doing. She knew that working in the restaurant was a lot different from working in the salon, yet she enjoyed it just as much. She watched what everyone else was doing as they worked and had the common sense not to get in the way. She knew what Rowan was like when she was cooking.

Rowan gestured Alyssa over to have her help with the pancakes and showed Alyssa how to flip the fluffier, thicker pancakes Rowan was used to making. She glanced out of the kitchen as she heard Ffion greeting a few arrivals for the buffet and hurriedly took some of the finished pancakes out.

Rowan glanced at Alyssa as she came back to the grill and frowned slightly.

"You were a bit short-tempered this morning, can I ask what happened? I'm sure it can't all have been over mine and Chris' problem. You and Jack didn't have a fight did you?" she asked, her tone laced with concern.

Alyssa concentrated on what she was doing and frowned slightly. She flipped a pancake then turned her head to look at Rowan for a moment.

"Not me and Jack, no," she murmured back then looked down at the grill again.

"Dad's back," she muttered as she held the spatula and watched the pancakes cook for a moment. "Don't get me wrong, everything was great yesterday. He's different when Mum isn't around, when he's on his own he actually is my Dad, not just an enforcer for Mum," she explained.

Alyssa picked up a load of pancakes and took them off the grill and deposited them onto the plate that Rowan had given her to put them on when they were cooked. She sighed.

"I caught him coming out of Fee's room this morning," she muttered bitterly as she twirled the spatula in her hand.

Rowan blew out a long, slow breath.

"No wonder Fee looks like she does. Ouch. But otherwise, his visit is good? I know things did not go well last time. So, I'm guessing you needed to get out of the house. You can hang around here as long as you like. I don't mind. I promised Jane some various baked goods so you can always learn how to make the muffins and things. I'd rather not make her wait until late this afternoon if I don't have to," Rowan grinned and went to peer out at the dining room.

She hurriedly put on a clean apron.

"That's enough pancakes for now. Go ahead and help Syed with the baking while I go help out up front," she gaze Alyssa a quick hug then grabbed up the rest of the finished pancakes and took them out to the buffet and began walking around talking to her guests and helping Ffion with the beverages.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\

Ray made his way to work, fighting against the bitter cold air, he should have brought gloves, but his gloves were with Ronnie. He needed to talk to her. He knew that he did. He nodded briefly at Adam as he passed and hurried into his office area that he shared with Alex. She'd be back soon, now she had had the baby. He hated to say that he had missed her, but his fellow DI, despite her bossy, know-it-all, psycho-whatsit stuff she was fun to have around. Sometimes. He frowned at the bag on his desk and looked at the letter pinned to it. Ronnie's writing on top. His name. His stomach plummeted. He gulped and tried to ignore the tiny shake of his hands as he opened the note:

"_Ray: I'm sorry. This isn't for good; I just need some space, just for a few days. I am going to talk to Phil and he is going to fix this. I can't stand having worked so hard to make you trust me to lose it so quickly and easily. I will tell you simply and honestly, I did not trick you and I did not lie to you. If you still don't believe me, I will do whatever I have to do so that you see I don't just want someone to get me pregnant. I want you, more than anything, but I can't be with you if you don't believe in me anymore. I cannot talk to you today. I don't want to say something in anger I might regret, I've done enough of that already and it seems my temper is shorter than usual. Please come see me tomorrow. Text me first so I can tell you where I am. Love, Ron"_

Ray sighed. She still loved him. She did or would take him back. She would talk to him at least. Tomorrow, he just had to get through one day. That was all. Just one. He could do that. Now he had hope. He collapsed into his chair with a small sigh and dumped the bag on the floor. It wasn't all his stuff, just enough for a few days judging on the weight of it. Ray seized the paperwork and made a start to stop his mind wandering to thoughts of Ronnie

/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gerald stubbed out his cigarette and nodded. "Rowan owns the restaurant right?" he questioned. He remembered Jack pointing it out on the way over to the school. The guy had an important job. Head Teacher to a whole load of kids. Not Primary School either. Secondary School, full of troublesome teenagers with mood swings and hormones.

And this school looked huge.

"That's where Alyssa went. I'll bet you anything that she's still angry with me," a thought occurred to him.

"Do you have a bookies in Walford? I haven't had a proper bet on a horse in years!" he grinned hopefully.

Jack's eyebrows went up.

"Yes, I can't say for sure if it's open today, but we can go by there. Do you mind if we stop at the café on the way? I could do with a hot cup of tea. It's colder than I expected," he remarked and gave a small chuckle as he drove back to the Square. He parked in front of the Beale's house and headed into the café.

"Hi, Jane, can I get a tea, please?"

"Sure, how are you, Jack?" she greeted him pleasantly.

"Not bad," he nodded at Peter.

"You ready to go back to school?"

Peter snorted and grinned at Jack and went back to wiping down tables.

Gerald grinned and got out of the car too. He followed Jack into the café. This was where he and Caroline had spoken to Alyssa. It was different. No longer Rowan's. It belonged to this woman now. He smiled good-naturedly at her He noted the young man and based on his behaviour he was clearly one of Jack's students. He chuckled at the typical teenage response and looked around again.

Jane smiled at Gerald. Nice looking man, she thought.

"Oh, Jane, this is Gerald, he's Alyssa's father," Jack introduced as he gave Jane the money for his tea.

"Nice to meet you," Jane said. "Do you want a tea or coffee?"

Whitney came bolting into the cafe.

"Peter, I did it! I did it!" she shrieked as she waved a piece of paper and jumped around. She flung her arms around him. He widened his eyes but patted her back. "Bianca forgot to open the mail the other day and it was in there!"

She released Peter and danced in a circle. She spotted Jack.

"Oh, howaya Mr. Rimmer? I did it, look!" she squealed and showed him the letter.

"Wow, Whitney, that's fantastic, well done," Jack congratulated her. Whitney beamed and turned back to Peter.

"Is Molly coming to yours for dinner tonight?"

"I don't know. Her mum and the baby go home today. She might want to stay home with them."

Whitney nodded. "Well, I'll text her anyway and see, yeah? I'll have a tea when you're ready, Jane."

Jane smiled at Whitney and looked back at Gerald, waiting for his answer.

Gerald chuckled at the two young people and watched them with interest. He smiled back at Jane.

"Tea," he told her.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alex cradled Sam happily in her arms. Her bag was packed, she had everything ready and the Doctor had signed her notes. She was good to go. She was also allowed to keep the bed until Gene came to pick her up. So, she was sat comfortably on the edge of the bed, in her own clothes which felt so nice after being in bed for days. She rocked Sam gently as his eyes opened. He didn't cry though. Just gurgled. She smiled at a nurse and shifted her bag out of the way with her foot as she waited.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jane nodded and got Gerald a cup of tea and then got one for Whitney.

Jack handed Jane the money for Gerald's tea before moving towards a table to sit down.

"So, let's see this paper that has you so excited Whitney," Jane said as she handed Whitney her tea.

Whitney grinned and showed Jane her acceptance notice to study practical fashion design.

"I can do it part-time so I won't have to give up the stall. I talked to Fatboy though and he's promised to behave and work the stall for me when I have class or something," she enthused.

"That's great, Whitney. You're doing amazingly well," Jane congratulated.

Whitney blushed and sat down with her tea. She sipped at it as she sent a text off to Molly.

"Got best news EVAH! U comin to P's 2nite 4 dinner?"

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\

Gene drove over to Max's as soon as Molly was ready. He climbed out of the car and knocked on the door.

"Right, so let's see this car you were going on about," Gene said when Max opened the door. Max nodded and led Gene over to the car lot. At Gene's request, he'd found a decent car for Alex. Gene looked the car over. It was dark blue, hopefully Alex would like the color, four doors, not a bad looking motor.

"It's in excellent shape, Mr. Hunt, and a pretty reliable motor, you know I won't mess you over with it," Max told him.

Gene nodded. "Let's get this done, then. I need to pick her up soon."

Max nodded and went into the office to sort the paperwork. Gene popped his head into the Quattro.

"Molly, love, can you get the car seat out of the boot and put it in that car there? I assume you know how to set it up," he requested and then went to the office to sign what Max needed him to sign and hand over the money.

A few minutes later, Gene came out of the office and spun the keys for the car around his finger. He gestured Molly to get in.

"I'll pick the Quattro up later. Don't let anybody mess with it," Gene told him. Max nodded and gave Gene and Molly a wave as Gene drove off towards the hospital.

Molly felt her phone go off in her pocket as she worked on fitting the car seat into the new car; she frowned as she finally worked out exactly how to strap the seat in so it was safe for Sam. She sat down inside the car and pulled out her phone. She chewed her lip in contemplation

'Mum gets out 2day so will chek wiv her, she may want me round or watev's! WAT NEWS! :D'

She put her phone back into her pocket and settled into the new car as Gene came back and started to drive.

/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\

"Got in! Will be doing fashion design! WOOOPP!" Whitney texted back.

/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\

OMFG! WELL DONE :D

/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\

Whitney smiled at Molly's text.

" :O :D !" she sent back.


	7. Chapter 7

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 7**

Gene parked at the hospital and led Molly inside. He grinned when he saw Alex sitting on the bed, ready and waiting to go.

"So, you're not ready yet?" he asked in an aggrieved tone and nudged Molly. He picked up Alex's bag.

"I have a bit of a nice surprise for you," Gene told her as he led Alex out.

Alex rolled her eyes at him and slid off the bed into a careful standing position. She smiled at Molly and gave her a one-armed hug as she followed Gene outside.

"What surprise?" she questioned.

Gene led Alex out of the hospital and over to the car. He used the key fob to unlock the doors and opened the back door so she could put Sam in and then held the keys out to her.

"It's all yours, got it this morning," he grinned at her.

Alex's eyes widened at the sight of the blue car. She had been looking for the Quattro and had been confused when she couldn't see it. Now it made sense. He had bought her a car, clearly having a baby in the Quattro was not going to happen. She strapped Sam in the back carefully then ran her hand over the top of the car as she walked around to the front. She grinned up at Gene, took the keys from him and flung her arms around his neck, being sure not to hit his neck with the key.

"Thank you," she smiled at him, then kissed him happily before turning in his arms to see Molly rolling her eyes at them as she climbed in the back next to her brother.

Alex smiled at Molly as the door shut and kissed Gene again.

Gene held her close, glad she liked the car.

"You can drop me at the car lot so I can pick up the Quattro then we'll head home. I'll pick us up something to eat on the way," he told her as he slid into the passenger seat.

Alex nodded and spun the keys around her finger as she smiled and slid into the front seat. Her own car. She couldn't help the grin that spread over her face. She slid the key into the ignition and happily started up her car and left the hospital.

Gene grinned as Alex drove them back to the Square. He gave her a quick kiss as he got out and went and climbed into the Quattro. He stopped at Rowan's on the way and picked up a bag of food she'd set aside for him before continuing on home.

Alex parked up outside the house and tossed the keys into the back at Molly so that she could open up. Molly grabbed the bag out of the car and ran up the stairs to open the door for Alex. She wedged it open as Alex came up with Sam in her arms, Molly flicked the keys at the car to lock it and placed them on top of the fridge. She grinned as Alex came inside and peered down at Sam.

"Can I hold him?" Molly asked as she placed her mum's bag on the table.

Alex nodded and pointed at the sofa.

"Sit down though, Molls, I'm not having any accidents," Molly narrowed her eyes then nodded and sat down, she held out her arms and took her baby brother and rocked him happily as she settled into the cushions.

Alex watched them for a moment with a smile then grabbed the bag off the table, she trusted Molly enough to take care of him while she unpacked her things.

Gene carried the food in and put it on the kitchen table. He looked at Molly where she sat holding the baby and then headed down the hall looking for Alex. He stood at the door to the little box room they'd decided would be the nursery. He took the bag from her hands and put it down and then pulled her into his arms and held her close.

"Good to have you home. I guess now it gets really interesting," he said with a soft smile.

Alex wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest and smiled. she tilted her head to look up at him and raised her eyebrows.

"That's one way of putting it," she replied quietly. "You do know that you are going to be doing your fair share of nappy changing don't you. And don't even think about trying to weasel out of it because he's your son, too," she grinned and reached up to kiss him.

Gene grunted and frowned.

"Dinner's in the kitchen, courtesy of Rowan," he said shortly to change the subject.

Gene chuckled and went into the kitchen and started unpacking the food. He was hungry even if no one else was.

"Molly, there's food in here," he called as he put the last of the containers on the table. He grabbed out a roast beef wrap and took a bite as he walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer.

Molly looked up and nodded, then looked back at the baby in her arms. She couldn't really eat until Sam was taken away. She chewed her lip and looked over at Gene. He was busy eating. She had a sudden brainwave.

Molly stood up carefully and walked with Sam to his nursery, she placed him into his carry-chair and took him through to the kitchen. She placed the carry-chair on the table and made sure he was in the middle so that he wouldn't fall off. She grinned and got down a plate to pile on the food.

Gene snorted and glanced at Sam sleeping in his carrier. He grabbed another wrap out of the container and then dug into another and dropped a small pile of chips onto his plate. He picked up his plate and his beer and took them into the front room and put them on the end table. He went back into the kitchen and got Sam's carrier and went back into the front room. He sat down, put Sam's carrier on the couch next to him and switched on the TV. He flipped channels until he found football and then leaned back to eat his food and watch the game.

Molly chuckled as she watched Gene take Sam away and sit him in front of the football. The poor thing had only been born two days ago and he was already being brought up watching the football. She hid her laughter by taking a huge bite out of her wrap and looked up as Alex came out of her bedroom.

Alex raised an eyebrow at Gene and Sam but said nothing, Gene was bonding with his son in his own way, she wasn't going to tell him off. She reached into one of the boxes and pulled some food out onto a plate, so much better than hospital food.

Gene could feel the eyes of Alex on Molly on him, he ignored them. It was never too early for football. He took a drink of his beer and began a low-voiced, running commentary of the game for Sam's benefit.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Alyssa nodded.

"So far, so good, except I am so angry with him right now, and I was a right bitch to Fee this morning," she sighed.

She watched Rowan go and went to quickly wash her hands, she had got some of he pancake batter on them. She smiled at Syed as she went over and listened to how to do what he needed her to do.

Syed set Alyssa to work stirring the batter and filling the paper cup-lined muffin tins while he started a new batch.

Rowan wandered around, enjoying talking to the people who had stopped in to eat.

As the food ran low, she went back into the kitchen to make more. Business was steady, but not overwhelmingly busy. She was relieved, any busier and she'd not have been able to cope with as little time as she had to prepare.

Alyssa nodded and grabbed a tea towel to dry her hands. She spotted Ffion and made her way over. She took the girl's hand and moved her away from the others. She smiled at her. "Fee, I'm sorry I was such a bitch this morning. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

Ffion looked Alyssa.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know who he was. I…" Ffion paused and sighed. "I really liked him," she finished softly. "I guess it's a good thing I'm moving out."

Alyssa looked at Ffion for a moment then pulled her into a gentle hug.

"It's okay Fee, he told me what happened. I don't blame you in the slightest," she whispered softly then pulled away.

"And the house isn't going to seem the same without having you around," she smiled.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\

After they'd finished their tea, Jack drove Gerald over to the bookies. He stayed for a short time with Gerald until Patrick and Charlie had engaged Gerald in conversation and then excused himself.

"I'm going to head over to Rowan's restaurant and pick Alyssa up. We'll see you later," Jack told him and headed out.

Gerald looked up from his paper to wave at Jack then grinned at the others as he headed over to the desk to put his bets on.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Phil got drunker as the day progressed. Ronnie's words from earlier in the day, and her threats, kept running through his mind. She wouldn't do it. She didn't dare.

Billy heard his phone beep and grabbed it up from the kitchen table. Ronnie again. He sighed.

He sent a text back informing Ronnie that no, Phil had not yet left the house to go and talk to Ray and didn't look to be leaving any time soon. He shared a look with Jay as he put the phone back down on the table.

"This isn't going to go well," Billy muttered.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Ronnie read the text from Billy and fumed. Phil had had hours to do what she had requested and instead, he was getting drunk. She pulled the compress off her ankle, hobbled across the room and turned off the CD player. She put some weight on her ankle experimentally and apart from a small twinge, it seemed fine.

She grabbed her crutches in any case, she could move faster with them and headed out of the flat and over to the café. She pulled Jane aside and quietly explained what she needed. Jane frowned but nodded and called Peter over. Peter gave Ronnie the number that Ian was using while he was in the States visiting Ben. Ronnie thanked them both and then headed over to Phil's.

Ronnie went to Phil's and pounded on the door. Billy winced, looked at Jay and went to answer the door.

"Hi, Ronnie. He's in the front room, he's had a whole bottle and started on a second," Billy told her. Ronnie frowned and went into the front room. She reached down and grabbed up the nearly half-empty bottle of scotch before Phil could pick it up again. She handed it to Billy. "Go pour that down the sink," she told him, her tone sharp.

Billy nodded and hurried off. Ronnie looked at Phil.

"I take it you didn't think I was serious. I'm not messing around Phil. I won't have Ray thinking that there is the slightest chance I've tricked him or that I'm just using him. This is your last chance, you will go now and apologize for what you said and tell him you were trying to wind him up or I will call Ian right now and tell him the state you're in and we'll see to it that Ben is kept away from you for a very, very long time."

Phil looked up at her, his eyes bleary. He really hadn't thought she was serious. Nobody threatened Phil Mitchell. He got up from the couch and advanced on Ronnie.

"You won't do that, you wouldn't dare," he slurred, his tone low and menacing, "not if you know what's good for you."

"You don't scare me, Phil. I'll do what I have to do," she snapped and moved farther away from Phil. She pulled out her phone and hurriedly scrolled to Ian's number and called him.

"Hi, Ian, it's Ronnie. No, I know but I thought I should call you and let you know that….." she began. Phil roared and leapt across the room and slapped the phone from her hand, tripping over one of her crutches in the process. Ronnie limped backwards and barely caught herself before she fell. Phil snarled and stood up, throwing the crutch aside and advanced on Ronnie. Billy looked at Jay as he heard the commotion.

"Billy!" Ronnie shouted and she backed away, feeling a chill of fear down her spine as she put a protective hand over her belly.

"Call that bloke of hers, get him over here now!" Billy said when he heard Ronnie yell. He spotted Ronnie's phone on the floor and handed it to Jay. "NOW!" Billy hissed.

"Hello? Hello? Ronnie? What do you need to tell me?" Ian was yelling. Jay hung up the phone and looked through for Ray's number as Billy rushed into the front room.

Jay found the number and pressed the button to call it, hoping it would get answered quickly. Phil was hard to take down when he was drunk and angry and Billy would need help.

Billy jumped at Phil and knocked him to the ground before he could get his hands on Ronnie. Ronnie changed direction and tried to edge in the direction of the door. Phil howled as he hit the floor and flung out an arm as he rolled to shove Billy away.

He got up again and started moving towards Ronnie. "You, I'm gonna teach you a lesson about messing with me," he snarled.

Ronnie swung out with her crutch and dashed for the kitchen when Phil dodged it. She slammed the door and leaned her back against it, waving Jay over to come help her hold the door.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Ray looked up as his phone rang and Ronnie's picture flashed up. He grabbed it. Had she changed her mind and decided to talk to him a day early? He flicked the button and pressed it to his ear.

"Ronnie?" he answered eagerly and frowned as he heard the commotion in the background. "What's going on?"

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\

"Oi, mate, you better get here now. Phil's drunk and he's completely lost the plot. He's having a go at Ronnie and…" Jay broke off as Ronnie bolted into the kitchen and slammed the door. He hurried over to the door at her gesture and leaned against it, "and Billy's trying to hold him off."

Ronnie looked at Jay. "Is that the police?" she asked him breathlessly. Jay nodded mutely. "Tell them to hurry!" She added and let out a surprised yelp as Phil slammed against the door. Ronnie grabbed a chair and dragged it over and wedged it under the doorknob.

"Hurry up, not sure how long we can hold the door here," Jay said and shut Ronnie's phone. He and Ronnie locked gazes and then looked at the door, listening as Phil began knocking things over in the next room.

/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Ray listened to the voice on the other end of the phone and thought he recognised it. Ray then realised that if they were at Phil's then he probably would recognise it, he had met all of the family yesterday.

"I'll be right over," he said and shut the phone off.

He grabbed his coat and ignored the questions from the other officers as he ran out of the station. He frowned as he looked around, Ronnie had pointed out Phil's home to him before, he turned in a slow circle and tried to stay calm as he worked out where he should run to. He spotted it, that one, there. He ran full speed at the door and it opened as his shoulder hit it. There he was. The guy that had practically ruined his relationship with Ronnie by spouting a few words. A few little words that had inspired a small element of doubt in Ray that had lead to Ronnie throwing him out. Not forever, but it had torn a hole in their relationship. He scowled at him. Drunk. What a surprise. He spotted the smaller man and pulled him out of the way as he made a beeline for Phil.

"Hey!" he called out to him to get his attention. The kid had said this guy was after Ronnie, not over his dead body would he lay a finger on her. Not a chance.

/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

"What about Billy?" Jay asked her.

"Phil's not mad at him. If Billy's careful he won't get hurt. It's me he's mad at, but I have something else to think of," she said and put her hands across her belly.

Phil slammed against the kitchen door again, causing Ronnie and Jay both to cry out. He turned and glowered as he heard someone yell at him. It was that big bloke of Ronnie's.

Ronnie looked at Jay. "You called Ray?" she cried.

"He's a copper and Billy told me to," Jay replied defensively.

"Yes, I know that but," she sighed and bit her lip. "We need more than one," she added.

"Ray! Be careful!" she called through the kitchen door. "I'm not hurt!"

Phil grinned at Ronnie's cries to Ray.

"Come to play the big hero have you?" Phil growled and barked out a menacing laugh as he lunged for Ray.

"Phil, no!" Billy shouted and jumped onto Phil's back to try and stop him from attacking Ray. Assaulting a police officer wouldn't go down well at all.

Ray's ears pricked up, Ronnie was safe behind that door, for now, anyway. He intended to keep it that way. He narrowed his eyes at Phil as the man charged at him and he braced himself, he dodged out of Phil's way and managed to get clear before Phil hit the wall where Ray had been standing. His handcuffs were in his pocket, one punch was all he needed to be able to arrest Phil. Just one measly punch and he could put him in a cell until he sobered up. At least that way Ronnie would be safe.

Phil bounced off the wall and reeled. He spun around and shook his head. He glared at Ray.

"Phil, stop it," Billy said. "You'll end up arrested."

"I don't care. That bitch is going to learn she doesn't mess with me. No one threatens to keep my son from me, no one," Phil bellowed and ran at Ray again. He shoved past Ray and slammed against the kitchen door again, drawing startled shouts from Ronnie and Jay. "You hear me? You come outta there, now!" Phil raged at the door and began to slam himself against it.

Billy looked at Ray. "Do something!"

Phil struggled against Ray's grip but gave up after he was cuffed and against the wall.

Ronnie put her ear to the door and heard Ray taking care of Phil. She opened the door and Jay went first and went over to check on Billy. Ronnie came out and looked at Ray. She swiped her hands under her eyes to wipe away the mascara that had run and gazed at him, feeling her heart pound in her chest at the sight of him. She missed him. She missed him so much.

Jay helped Billy up and brought Ronnie the crutch that Phil had tripped over.

"Thank you, Jay," she said. She looked out the open door and saw a police car pull up.

She watched a couple of uniformed officers run up to the door. She waved them inside when they paused at the door and watched as they grabbed Phil from Ray and pushed Phil out to the car. Ronnie leaned against the wall and fidgeted. She hadn't expected to see Ray, now she didn't want him to go.

Ray watched the other officers take Phil away and drive off. He sighed and turned to Ronnie. He looked her up and down critically. How was it possible for her to always look so beautiful? He felt his arms aching to hold her to him, to crush her against him and have her back. He missed her so much, he wanted to move back in, to be with her again. But it was her call, not his. Her decision to make.

He took a small step towards her and looked her over again.

"Are you hurt, Ron?" he asked softly as he looked back up into her eyes and searched for the answers that he wanted there.

Ronnie shook her head. "No, a bit scared, but I'm okay. Billy kept him off me," she gestured in Billy's direction.

"No trouble, Ronnie," Billy mumbled as he went upstairs to the bathroom to clean himself up. Jay glanced back and forth between Ray and Ronnie and then followed Billy up the stairs. "You need any help, Bill?"

Ronnie kept her eyes fixed on Ray. She couldn't look away. She fidgeted again, jiggling her leg nervously. She desperately wanted him to hold her, to be wrapped in his arms and know she was safe.

"I'm sorry….for what I said. It wasn't fair of me to fly off the handle like that," she whispered, she wanted to look down, but was unable to take her eyes from him.

Ray nodded and didn't look away from her as he heard Billy and Jay move upstairs. He clenched his fists as he tried to stay in control and prevent himself from holding her to him.

"I shouldn't have doubted you, Ron," he told her softly. "I know that you wouldn't do something like that, I guess I just panicked. I love you far too much to lose you," he said as he took a step closer and raised his hand to cup her cheek so he could look into her eyes properly.

He hesitated for a moment, he didn't want to be pushed away but he _had _to hold her, he couldn't help it. He gently and slowly slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him and shut his eyes as he felt her against his chest

Ronnie made a small noise and leaned against him as he slid his arm around her.

"Please, come home," she pleaded softly and buried her face in his shoulder.

Ray tightened his grip around her and kissed the top of her head as he opened his eyes, he rocked slowly backwards and forwards as he held her and felt himself relax.

"Only If you're sure, Ron. I don't want to be kicked out again," he sighed as he cupped her cheek and made her look up at him.

"Well, then don't make me lose my temper," she replied and kissed him.

Billy and Jay came back downstairs, Ronnie kissing Ray, looked at each other and moved into the kitchen.

Ronnie heard her phone going off in her pocket, but was too involved with the feel of Ray's lips on hers and his body so close. She ached with wanting him. Whoever was calling could call back. This was more important.

Ray felt at home with her in his arms and her lips pressed to his. Even less than a day apart and he missed her like crazy. But he had believed it would be longer. That didn't matter now. She wanted him back with her. He broke the kiss and grinned down at her.

"Maybe you should think about trying to control your temper," he retorted with a smile and dropped another quick kiss onto her lips.

"I'll bring my stuff home from the station tonight then?" he asked then moved his lips to her ear. "I'm supposed to be working," he whispered.

"Did working with Alex teach you nothing? Expect me to be short-tempered," she shot back and shivered at his breath on her ear.

"How much longer, I want you home," she breathed in his ear. She leaned back and smiled at him finally and grabbed her crutches, keeping her eyes on Ray the whole time.

"Let me know if you need anything, Billy. I'll see that Phil gets out in the morning," she called over her shoulder and headed out of the house. She got close to the street and looked back and waited for Ray.

She owed him a special treat.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Jack got to the restaurant and looked pathetically at Ffion until she let him in. He helped himself to the food that hadn't all been put away and got himself a late lunch. He grinned at Rowan who winked back at him and went to get Alyssa.

"Jack's out front if you want to be finished," she said. "I think we're nearly done back here."

She looked over and saw Christian still standing there and talking to Syed. She shook her head and sighed.

"You know, I had said that the baking was done early and now you are making me look bad," she scolded Christian. Christian gave her a cheeky grin and kissed her on the cheek.

"That isn't going to work on me, it's Jane who's going to be upset since it's," Rowan paused and looked at her watch, "after 2:00."

"Can Syed be done then so we can go," Christian asked her in a little-boy voice.

Rowan sighed. "Fine, get out of here, both of you," she growled and turned to get the rest of the food put away.

/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Ffion looked at Alyssa and blushed.

"It is partly my fault though; I was very pushy if I'm being honest. I'll miss you and Jack though," she said with a small smile. "Can I get a ride back with you so I can get my stuff and head over to Rhys'?" she asked.

"We'll miss you, too," Alyssa smiled back.

Jack nodded as he came into the kitchen.

"Yeah, Gerald is bonding with Patrick and Charlie so I have time to do that before he needs picking up, unless he decides to walk back to the house. I think he can find his way with no trouble."

Jack went over and gave Rowan a quick squeeze. He glanced at Rowan.

"Do you want to come stay at ours with Chris working tonight?" he offered.

"Oh, thanks Jack, but Chris and I both told Ray he could stay here until he and Ronnie sorted things out. I should be here, keep him from deciding to get drunk again," Rowan replied. "But thank you. I'll definitely take you up on that when Ray goes home," Rowan smiled.

Alyssa looked over at Rowan and smiled, now Ffion was moving in with Rhys and Shaz there would be plenty of room for Rowan to stay. She smiled back at Fee and looked over at Rowan.

"I take it you're finished with us now?" she grinned then frowned and looked back at Jack.

"Bonding with Patrick and Charlie?" she questioned curiously.

Rowan nodded. "Yes, go away, get out of here," she joked as she waved her hands at them. Jack chuckled and swung Alyssa up into his arms and carried her into the dining room so she could get her coat.

"Yeah, he wanted to go to the bookies, Patrick and Charlie are there a lot so the three of them got to talking about horses," he shrugged as he put her down. Ffion grabbed her coat and pulled it on. Rowan came out and opened the door for them so she could lock it behind when they left. She waved at them through the door as Jack hustled Ffion and Alyssa into the car to get warm.

Jack drove home and waited outside while Ffion went inside and got her bag.

"Do you want to come with me while I drive Ffion over to Rhys' flat?"

Ffion went in the house and grabbed her bag and sent off quick text to her brother to let him know Jack was going to give her a ride to the flat.

Rhys read Ffion's text and sent one off to Shaz to let her know that Ffion was on the way.

Ffion came back out and shoved her bag into the back seat.

"Are you sure this is no trouble?" she asked.

"No trouble at all," Jack waved his hand at her. He looked at Alyssa. "You coming with or staying here?"

Alyssa shook her head.

"Staying."

Jack nodded and climbed into the car and drove Ffion to her brother's flat.

"Thanks, Jack, I'm sorry for all the commotion I caused," she said.

He patted her hand. "Alyssa's forgiven you, that's good enough for me," he said in response.

Ffion gave him a small smile and rummaged through her keys. She handed Jack her key to the house and got out of the car and knocked on Rhys' door. She was pretty sure Shaz was there.

Jack gave her a final wave and drove home. He went inside and looked around for Alyssa.

Alyssa looked up from the TV as Jack came back in.

"Hey," she called out and looked around as he came into the front room.

"So, Fee has officially moved out and it seems that Dad has moved in," she grinned "I don't think we'll ever be alone in this house."

Alyssa smiled up at him from where she sat comfortably on the sofa.

"Do we really want to be, though? I like having people around and we're hardly loud like Ray and Ronnie so no one gets…disrupted," he grinned. "So, if Rowan comes here tonight, do you think we could get her to cook?"

"I'm sure Rowan won't be opposed to cooking, but after this morning you'll have to ask her. I caused her to delay cooking which meant she had a mad rush trying to get everything together," she told him.

He glanced at his watch.

"When should we expect your dad back do you think? You know, you're going to have to forgive him a bit. I'm not taking his side, but it's not easy when you're hurt and lonely to say no to a pretty, young woman who won't take no for an answer," he told her. "I don't condone what he did, but I can understand it."

She sighed. "I know, I'm just so frustrated about it. She's younger than me. I mean, sleeping with a girl younger than your own daughter is more than a little bit weird," she looked back over at the pictures flashing on the muted TV.

"He's in the bookies right? It's going to depend on the races being shown, the odds and how much cash he's got on him," she looked at her watch. "I would say he should be home soon. Unless he decides to go elsewhere."

Jack dropped onto the sofa next to her and pulled her into his arms.

"It's possible he had no idea how old Fee was, anyway, it's done and we can't change it," he sighed and kissed the back of her neck. "Of course, we don't know yet if Rowan is coming here. I wonder what happened that would make Ronnie kick Ray out. Poor guy. It's good that even though Chris and Rowan weren't doing so well that they still looked out for him. That man could have done himself a mischief."

Alyssa leant back against him and nodded her silent agreement.

"Poor Ray. I hope they make up soon. It feels funny him not being with Ronnie," she commented. "I can't really imagine them with anyone but each other," she sighed.

She dug around in her pocket and pulled out her phone, she sent a text to Rowan asking whether or not she was coming over to stay and then settled back into Jack's embrace.

/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan went back into the kitchen and finished washing up. She put together a plate of food for Chris and one for herself and headed upstairs to the flat. She peered into the bedroom and chuckled to see him splayed across the bed, still fully dressed. She bit her lip and then stripped off her clothes and climbed onto the bed. She rolled onto her back next to him, picked up his arm and slipped under it. She put his hand on her breast and then brought her lips close to his ear.

"Chris," she breathed and tugged his earlobe gently with her teeth. Chris turned his head and opened his eyes and looked at her. He grinned and slid his hands over her as he kissed her.

/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shaz looked up and grabbed her phone. She read the text with a smile and did a last check of the room that she had made up for Fee. It was fine. And they already had a box of the tea that Ffion drank in the house as well.

/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan gasped and tried to catch her breath. She felt completely wrung out, but the surrender had been so wonderful!

"I wish I didn't have to go in tonight," Chris murmured into her hair as he held her close.

"Then don't, call in sick," she suggested with a contented sigh.

"I really don't want a telling off from the Guv," he groaned.

"Then go in," she told him and gave him a small shove. He chuckled.

"I just don't want to leave you alone. I think I've done enough of that already."

"I'll be fine. Ray will be here unless he and Ronnie work things out, and if they do, Jack and Alyssa said I can go stay at theirs. I won't be alone."

"I don't know why you didn't go stay at theirs in the first place," he mumbled and kissed her shoulder.

"You already thought I was a failure. I couldn't bear to feel it…or pity….from anyone else," she admitted in a low tone. She shook her head. "But that's over now."

She rolled to face him and propped her head up with her hand and tapped his nose.

"You should go and get a shower then. I brought up some leftovers for dinner. I'm really hungry now for some reason," she remarked and grinned.

"I can't imagine why," Chris joked with her and hauled himself off the bed and headed for the bathroom. Rowan watched him go, admiring him as he walked away.

Chris finished getting ready for work and then went into the kitchen to eat while Rowan took a quick shower and got dressed.

She ate one of the wraps and then leaned back. She tapped the table and wondered what she was going to be doing and realized she felt decidedly odd. She leaned her chin in her hand and watched Chris as he got up and washed the few dishes then went to shave. She almost found herself hoping Ray would be at the flat soon and pushed it hurriedly away. That was no way to think now that she and Chris had made up. Though she was glad the idea of being around Ray didn't make her as uncertain and on edge as it had before. That was one thing at least.

Chris pressed one last kiss on Rowan and headed out to the station. Rowan sighed as she watched him go, she wished he didn't have to work. With any luck Hale would be back early.

"Ask around if someone can take nights for a couple days—want you home," she texted him and grinned. Now she just had to find out what she was doing. She hoped it would be soon. She didn't relish walking all the way to Jack and Alyssa's in the dark. Why was she waiting? She got up and went into the kitchen and looked in the fridge then sent off a text to Ray. "What do you want for dinner?"

Ray waved at Billy and Jay as he followed her out and made sure the door shut behind him, he raised his eyebrows at her as he spotted her waiting for him and shoved his hand into his pocket as his phone went off. He slid an arm around her waist and read the text from Rowan, he sighed and sent one back.

"Made up with Ron :D THNX 4 letting me stay last nite."

He looked back down at Ronnie as he walked along with her, making sure to keep his pace to one she could match with her crutches.

"I'll be home around 5," he smiled at her.

Ronnie stopped and pulled him to her. "Then I'll see you then," she purred and kissed him before turning and heading home. She had barely over an hour to get ready! She rushed home and cleaned herself up. She did her makeup carefully and artfully tousled her hair. She went into the kitchen and gnawed her lip as she looked in the fridge. There were the steaks she had planned to cook, and she had stuff to make salad. No potatoes, he could live with that surely. She hurriedly assembled the salad and then went and carefully put on the leather teddy Ray had picked out for her so long ago. She attached fishnet stockings to the clips and pulled on the thigh high boots she'd bought to go with it. She dug her leather jacket out of the wardrobe and put it on as well. It added a nice touch.

She studied herself in the mirror. It would do. She went into the kitchen and put the steaks to marinate. She glanced at the clock, just in time. She sat on the couch and waited for Ray to get home.

/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\

Jane heard her phone ring and had Peter help the people at the counter while she answered it.

"What do you want Ian? No, I don't. Yes, I knew she was going to call; she got your number from Peter. I don't know why she's not answering, maybe she's busy. I'm busy myself," she paused and listened to him rant on.

"Then leave a message and wait till she calls you back," she finally interrupted.

Jane snapped her phone shut in irritation. Peter looked at her curiously and she rolled her eyes.

"I guess Ronnie called him but the call got cut off. So he's having a go at me about it," she sighed.

Peter chuckled.

"So, what should we have for dinner tonight?"

"I don't know, what do you fancy?"

He shrugged. "You don't mind if Fatboy's there do you?"

"No, the more the merrier. In fact," she noted as she glanced at the clock. "I should get over there and get started. Is he in the house now or can I have your key?"

"I don't know, but take my keys anyway," Peter said and handed them to her.

"Okay, see you in...two hours, you too, Whit," Jane called over to her.

"Thanks, Jane," Whitney called back.

"Dinner Pete's in two hours if comin." Whitney texted to Molly.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\

Alex held a hand over Molly's mouth to prevent the hysterics that were coming and shook her head at Molly as she tried to hold back her own laughter.

"Shhhhhhhhh!" she grinned as she let Molly go and sat down with her food.

Molly let out a weak giggle as she tried to push her giggles away and reached for her phone to read the text.

"Muuuummmmmmm?"

Alex raised an eyebrow, she knew that tone of voice all too well.

"What do you want Molls?" she sighed.

Molly grinned and played with her phone absently as she watched Alex.

"Can I go around to Peter's for tea?" she asked sweetly.

Alex didn't look up.

"What time?"

"In two hours."

"And how do you intend on getting to the Square?"

Molly smiled. "Weeeeelllll, you could always try out your new car properly and take me down, which leaves the terrible twosome over there to get on with some male bonding."

Alex looked up and rolled her eyes at Molly. "You are way too cheeky for your own good, madam."

Molly narrowed her eyes. "Is that a yes?"

Alex let out a laugh. "Fine, I'll take you down to Peter's for dinner."

Molly smiled and kissed her mum's cheek as she finished her food. "Thank you."

She leant back in her chair and pulled out her phone and sent a text to Peter and Whitney saying she would be with them for tea.

/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\\

Whitney looked over at Peter and grinned when she got Molly's text. He grinned back and texted Jane that Molly would be joining them for dinner.

/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\\

Shaz heard the doorbell go and heaved herself up from the sofa, she made her way towards the front door and opened with a grin as she saw Ffion.

"Heya, Fee," she beamed as she stood back to let her in.

"Hiya, Shazza, I'm so tired it I'm honest. And today's been a bit of a nightmare, glad to be here," she sighed. She dragged herself and her bag to Ginger's old room and dropped the bag on the bed. She came back out. I think I'll go to the pub and have a quiet drink, want to join me? I really need one."

Shaz smiled and nodded.

"I'll grab my coat and bag and we can go down" she replied as she made a beeline for her bedroom and dug in the wardrobe she shared with Rhys until she found the coat that she wanted and grabbed her bag off the side cabinet.

"All set?" she asked as she picked her phone off the sofa.

Ffion nodded and grinned and walked out with Shaz towards the pub. She saw Max and Bradley sitting over in the corner. She'd shagged Max, it had been a pretty good evening, not as good as Gerald though she had to admit. She knew Shaz used to have a thing with Bradley and knew they were a bit friendly still. Their love of scifi gave them something of a bond. She could see the attraction. He was decently built, and she liked that he wore his hair a bit long. Rhys would be keeping a very close watch on her though. She knew that was why she had been moved in with him. They tried to make it seem easy and a good idea, but she wasn't fooled.

She sighed and ordered a vodka tonic from Roxy's boyfriend who seemed to be helping out on occasion. She gnawed at the straw while she sipped and looked around the pub.

/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\\

Gene glanced back into the kitchen and noticed Molly and Alex were involved in a discussion. He fished into his pocket and pulled out a small City scarf and draped it carefully over Sam's shoulders.

"Now, Sam Tyler was a pansy-arsed United supporter. I can say that even though he was my friend. But we won't have any of that round here, will we Sammy-boy? Here, it's all Man City," he whispered to his son and nodded.

/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\\

Charlie and Patrick finally declared themselves done with betting for the day and decided to go to the pub for a quick drink before heading home to their respective families.

"Want to join us, Gerald?" Charlie offered.

/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\\

Shaz waved at Bradley and Max as she passed them. She was glad that her choosing Rhys hadn't made her relationship with Bradley awkward, they still had their shared love of SciFi and met up for mini-marathons every so often. She was happy that they were friends.

She seated herself next to Fee as she sipped her lager peacefully.

Bradley waved back at Shaz and Max nodded. He didn't want to seem too friendly. He didn't mind Shaz now, there was clearly nothing going on between her and Bradley now, he often went to visit her and her bloke, Rhys. But Ffion, that was another story. Another mistake. Bradley got up and went over to visit with Shaz. He also didn't mind being around Ffion. She was pretty, he decided, besides his dad was getting melancholy and never good to be around when he was like that.

/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\\

Gerald nodded readily and walked companionably along with Charlie and Patrick. He liked these guys, they shared his love for betting and Patrick's attitude was refreshing, Charlie seemed a little more reserved but Gerald didn't mind. Having people around to drink and talk to meant he didn't have to hang around with Alyssa and Jack all the time. He didn't want to get in their way. He leant against the bar as his new friends ordered their drinks and got himself a pint as he welcomed the light hearted banter that flowed between them.

/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\\

Rowan read Ray's reply and grinned.

"Hurray! Am soo very pleased 4 you! ***big hugs*** and you're welcome. Anything for a friend BB."

She clapped her hands after sending the reply and then looked at her phone again. Message from Alyssa.

"R and R made up. Will be there double quick!" she sent back to Alyssa. She went into the bedroom and pulled a heavy sweater on over her t-shirt and then pulled on her favorite boots. She pulled on her coat, scarf and gloves and locked up behind herself as she left. She sent off a text to Chris to let her know where she would be. She swung her large handbag over her shoulder. She'd stashed the shirt and leggings she slept in, clean underclothes, hair brush and toothbrush in it.

She practically ran to Alyssa's house, she was in such a good mood.

/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\\

Chris waved and smiled at Ray as he saw Ray walking towards the station.

"Rowan texted me the good news. Glad you and Ronnie are sorted, mate," he said and gave Ray a companionable slap on the back as they walked into the station. He spotted Rhys who was on his way out and stopped him. "I know tomorrow is your day off, but is there any chance you could take just the next two night shifts for me, please. I really want to spend some time with Ro," he asked, nearly begging.

Rhys thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, all right. You can pay me back when Hale's here again," Rhys added.

"Thanks, Rhys," Chris said and headed back to his desk.

Rhys headed out and went to the pub to meet up with Shaz and Ffion.

Ray grinned at Chris.

"Me too, mate, and thanks for letting me stay last night, I mean, I know you weren't around but still," he shrugged. "Much appreciated."

His mind flickered back to last night and how it had ended, then waking up in the middle of the night and...he stopped that train of thought before it got any further. It wasn't a good idea to think about that, not while he was talking to Chris and especially not since Ronnie had taken him back. Not a good idea at all.

"Where else were you going to go? Especially when we had the space. You're welcome anytime, mate, anytime," Chris reassured him. "Besides, I'm sure Ro liked having someone else in the house. I should never have left her alone like that, no matter how mad at her I was. It wasn't a nice thing to do. She's too used to people around all the time. I forgot how much she hates it," he confessed, his tone laced with guilt. He sighed. "Right, let's get to work."

He went over the paperwork with Ray and then glanced at the clock. "You should be getting home, mate."

Ray glanced at the time and swore under his breath. He should have left 10 minutes ago. He patted Chris on the back and saluted him with a grin as he grabbed his coat and bag and hurried from the station.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Ffion spotted Gerald come in with Charlie and Patrick and sighed as she stared at him. She chewed at the inside of her cheek, made up her mind and walked nervously over.

Charlie and Patrick chatted back and forth and with Gerald, Pat and Peggy putting in an occasional comment as they stood on the other side of the bar. Patrick noticed Ffion walking over and sucked in a breath.

"Well, hello lovely," he greeted her with a cheeky grin. Charlie shook his head at Patrick and Pat gave him a light slap on the arm. "What?" he asked defensively.

Ffion gave Patrick a small smile and then tapped Gerald on the shoulder. "Can I have a word?" she asked timidly, her eyes wide and uncertain, "please?"

Gerald looked up at Patrick as he spoke and raised an eyebrow at him curiously before feeling the tap on his shoulder and turning to look down at an all too familiar face. He ignored the people around him and nodded as he slipped casually off the stool and gestured for her lead the way. He pointed at an empty table away from the rest of the busy pub and sat himself down opposite her. He knew he shouldn't have done what he did, especially after seeing Alyssa's reaction this morning, if Caroline found out. No. She wouldn't find out, Alyssa wasn't stupid enough to tell her mother on him.

He studied the young girl in front of him and contemplated why he had done it. The answer was simple. Because he had wanted too and she had seemed up for it. He hadn't stopped to think about the consequences or repercussions or any of that. It simply hadn't mattered at the time, what had mattered was the warm, soft body in his lap and his want. He furrowed his brow as he stared at her, she certainly hadn't seemed this timid or nervous last night, quite the opposite in fact.

"I'm so sorry for last night, I had no idea who you were," she began uncertainly. She sighed. "Though, if I'm honest, I probably would have done it anyway."

She looked down and then back up at him. "Last night was...really fantastic though, and I don't regret it, but I do apologize for getting you yelled at. If I'd known, I would have made sure you didn't get caught."

She gnawed at a fingernail and looked at him. "Please don't hate me. I really like you, and well, here's my number."

She looked up then and met his gaze, her brown eyes boring into his. "You can have me anytime," she told him softly, then got up and went back over to Shaz.

Gerald took her number off the table and folded the piece of paper up and slipped into his top pocket. That was good to know. His lips curved, he may just take her up on that offer. He sat in silence watching her for a few moments, then stood slowly and walked back to the others keeping his expression passive.

"What was all that about man?" Patrick asked Gerald quietly. He could see the girl kept glancing over. "She keeps watching you."

Gerald looked briefly back over at Ffion. His eyes tracked her as she left and then he turned back to Patrick.

"She was just telling me she was moving out," he shrugged. "I've moved in with my daughter for the time being and Ffion was their lodger until this morning," he explained.

Patrick nodded, but didn't quite believe him. "Sure, man," Patrick said and waved at JT to get another rum.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\

Alyssa smiled as she got a text back almost instantly. She chucked her phone onto the opposite chair and kissed Jack's cheek as she stretched and stood up off the sofa.

"Rowan's coming over and staying tonight. I'm going to get Ffion's room decent and ready for her," she informed him with a smile as she made her way out of the front room and upstairs. Alyssa took a detour to the airing cupboard and pulled fresh sheets and a new duvet cover out, along with matching pillow cases, then went into the spare bedroom. She stripped Ffion's bed and remade it with the fresh bedding, making sure that it was neat and clean. She gave the room the once over and made sure that it was neat and tidy and decent for a human to inhabit then left the door open for Rowan to get in and dump her stuff when she arrived.

"Excellent," Jack said and rubbed his hands together and went to inventory the contents of the fridge.

He looked up as he heard a knock at the door and went to let in a breathless and smiling Rowan. He stepped back to let her in.

"It's freezing out there!" Rowan shivered and began to unwind her scarf.

"Is that why you ran?"

"Well, partly yes, and partly I'm just in a really good mood. Ray is home where he belongs and Chris and I worked things out thanks to your bossy fiancé," she joked.

"Hey, she's your sister," Jack shot back, putting on an offended tone.

"Not when she's bossy like that, then she's no relation of mine," Rowan gave him a cheeky grin and pulled off her coat and gloves after dropping her bag on the table by the door.

"So, what will you be cooking for us this evening?" Jack asked to change the subject.

Rowan slumped her shoulders and rolled her eyes. "I knew it! You just want a live-in cook. I never should have accepted Alyssa's kind offer. I should have known it was a sneaky plot."

Jack tilted his head and looked pleadingly at her.

"Oh, not you with the eyes too! I cannot win for losing!" she huffed and raised her hands in defeat and dropped them at her sides. "Fine, what have you got," she sighed and gestured him to lead her into the kitchen.

Alyssa heard snippets of Jack's conversation with Rowan as she came back downstairs. She spotted Rowan's bag and took it upstairs and placed it on the bed for her. Then went back down again.

Alyssa sighed as she saw Rowan rooting through the kitchen and stared at Jack with a small frown.

"I hope you're not bullying her into cooking for you," she sighed with a small smile at him when Rowan wasn't looking.

She went over and placed a hand on Rowan's shoulder as she leaned over and flicked the switch on the kettle. It was horribly cold outside and she guessed that Rowan could probably do with a hot mug of tea to warm her up.

"Your bag's in your room," she told her then pouted. "And I'm not bossy!"

Rowan stopped what she was doing and looked at Alyssa. She stuck her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"After the way you ordered Chris and I around you say that?" she asked, her tone incredulous and then grinned. "Thank you by the way. He's not bullied, he's begged and used eyes on me, I think that is much worse," she remarked. "I don't mind cooking, really."

Jack folded his arms and looked at Alyssa smugly.

"See, she doesn't mind," he said.

"Is there anything your father can't eat?" Rowan asked Alyssa and rummaged in the fridge. "I could do rosemary chicken...and mashed potatoes..." she looked over at Alyssa expectantly.

Alyssa stuck her tongue out at Jack and pulled a face at him, then grinned and turned back to Rowan.

"Not unless he's developed something new within the past 7 years that I don't know about," she shrugged. "If he has then he'll say," she said, then a thought occurred to her. "He does have a minor nut allergy though," she added. "But only with cashew nuts."

She reached in the cupboard and pulled down 3 mugs and muttered to herself.

"I wasn't bossy, I was just pissed off," she grumbled as she dropped tea bags into each mug and snagged the milk from the fridge before Rowan could shut the door.

Rowan nodded and began assembling what she needed for dinner. She started peeling potatoes, humming as she did so. A memory flashed through her mind, her, straddling Ray's hips, him inside her, his arms around her, her body pressed close against his, her eyes on his, faces close, her lips barely touching his...she dropped the knife and shook her head, taking a deep breath and pushing the memory aside.

She picked up the tea Alyssa had made her and took a drink.

"I'll be right back," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. She went upstairs and rummaged in her bag for her cigarettes and then wrapped herself in her coat and went outside to smoke. She welcomed the cold to calm her down and took a long drag off her cigarette. That had been an incredible and erotic moment she admitted to herself. Right after she'd driven herself onto him and asked if that was what he wanted. She rubbed her face. She shouldn't be thinking about that. It had popped into her mind unbidden. She took another long drag off her cigarette and pushed her mind to other thoughts.

She wondered what it was going to be like, meeting Alyssa's father again. He hadn't liked her at all on their first meeting. His own doing, in her mind. She had had no intention of telling where her sister was. She pushed her mind down other pathways and smoked.

Alyssa watched Rowan leave curiously and wondered what was wrong. She chewed her lip and frowned slightly as she cradled her mug of tea. Something was up. She glanced at Jack questioningly, wondering if he knew something she didn't.

Rowan came back inside and smiled cheerfully.

"Sorry about that, don't know what came over me," she shrugged. "Felt a bit odd earlier today, too."

She glanced at Alyssa. "No, I'm not pregnant. At least, not as of two weeks ago," she grinned. "I just didn't sleep well last night at all and today was pretty stressful."

She went back to the potatoes.

Jack looked at Alyssa and shrugged.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\

Shaz tore her gaze away from Ffion and Gerald and her attention away from Bradley as Rhys turned up next to her, she pulled him to her for a kiss and pushed a pint towards him with a smile

"Any new or interesting cases today? Or the same boring paperwork to anticipate when I go back tomorrow?" she questioned hopefully.

"Boring paperwork. But look, I said I'd work the next two night shifts for Chris. He's missing Rowan so I took pity on him. He'll take one of mine off me when Hale gets back. Hey, if I can get him to take a weekend, maybe we can go somewhere, like, say, Barry Island? A nice little overnight?"

Shaz nodded.

"I don't mind. It gives me a chance to catch up on sleep. And watch pretty much whatever I want to on TV without you complaining," she grinned and brushed her lips against his as she smiled. "Barry sounds like a wonderful idea."

Ffion sat back down next to Shaz and picked up her drink. She glanced over at Gerald again and then back at her drink. She wondered how long before Gerald would call her.

"Hiya, Rhys," Ffion said and took a sip of her drink. She smiled at her brother.

Shaz grinned at Ffion as she came back. She shrugged at Rhys. And took another sip of her drink.

"Hey, Fee, hope you're staying out of trouble," Rhys said.

Ffion rolled her eyes at her brother's comment. She glanced at Bradley. "So, any good shows on," she sighed.

Rhys looked at Shaz and chuckled at Ffion's remark.

Bradley shrugged. "Well, sure," he began. "But you don't like science fiction," he stated.

"No harm asking though," she shrugged and gave him a small smile.

Ffion saw Patrick noticing her watching and looked away and tried to think of something to say, to Shaz, to her brother, anything. Her mind was blank. She drained her drink and sighed.

"I think I'm going to go home. I didn't sleep much last night and today was pretty busy, I'm tired," she said and let out a long breath.

"Okay, just make sure you go straight home," Rhys told her. Ffion nodded.

"I will, you don't have to talk to me like I'm a baby," Ffion retorted, her tone low. Rhys frowned at her. Ffion ignored him and left.

Shaz sighed as she watched Ffion leave. She turned her attention back to Rhys.

"You do know that she knows we've encouraged her to move in because we want to keep an eye on her don't you?" she sighed.

Rhys nodded at Shaz' comment.

"I'm sure Katie had a talk with her, told her what was going on. It's something she would do. Katie can be unbelievably straight sometimes."

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\

Janine glanced up as Ffion walked by. She glanced over and noticed Bradley had watched her walk away. She smiled. Time for some fun. She got up and left the pub.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\

Ray practically ran home, ignoring how cold it was, as his mind was focused on one thing. Ronnie. He dug in his pocket for his keys and smiled as he found them. He twisted the key in the lock with a contented sigh and then ran up the stairs to the flat and unlocked the front door.

"Ron?" he called out as he slipped his shoes off and shrugged out of his coat.

Ronnie hurriedly got up and adjusted herself.

"I'm here," she said and put her hand on her hip. She smiled. "Welcome home."

Ray dropped his bag on the floor and gazed at her. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened as a low growl escaped him at the sight of her. His eyes blackened with lust as he stalked towards her and placed his hands on her hips possessively as he looked her up and down, taking in every beautiful detail.

His gaze eventually reached hers as he finished devouring her body with his eyes. His hand slid up her back to press her against him and eventually cupped the back of her head as he crushed his lips against hers hungrily. He made sure to press his hips against hers so that she was left in no doubt as to the effect she had on him.

Ronnie felt herself shiver at Ray's reaction.

She kissed him back with the same intensity and moaned at the feel of him pressed against her.

He broke the kiss and scoured her body with his eyes once more and another soft growl was let loose. He grinned.

"If this is what happens when we fall out then we should argue more often."

She smiled at his comment and slipped the leather jacket off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor.

"So, I take it you approve," she remarked, her voice husky and low. She slid her hands over his shoulders and pushed his coat off, then grabbed the bottom of his jumper and pulled it off over his head. She tossed it aside and ran her hands over his bare chest and began planting slow kisses along his neck. She put her lips to his ear.

"I think we should go to the bedroom, don't you?" she breathed.

Ray needed no encouragement. He slipped his arms around her waist and lifted her, moving her legs so they were wrapped securely around his waist. He kissed her as he moved steadily in the direction of the bedroom and fell with her onto the bed.

He ran his fingers along her body, lingering on her breasts before moving lower and then down her legs as he grinned at her. He nuzzled at her neck before kissing it and treasuring every inch of her. His hand moved back to her waist as he frowned at her.

"Ronnie," he said simply. "You're wearing far too much," he smiled and eased her out of the teddy. He appraised her with his eyes then moved his mouth back to her neck as his hand stroked down her stomach, moving lower and lower. He pulled away from her neck as he stroked her, then kissed her.

Ronnie watched as he removed the teddy, stockings and boots. She smiled and let out a gasping sigh as he stroked her with his hand. She kissed him back and ran her hands over his shoulders and back.

"Now you're wearing too much," she teased him back and reached for his trousers. She pushed to roll him onto his back and unfastened his trousers and began pulling them and his boxers off. She dropped them on the floor and ran her hands over his legs and up his thighs to his belly. She bent over and took him in her mouth.

Ray drew in a sharp breath and his head fell back onto the pillows as his eyes rolled shut. His hands slid into her hair gently and he groaned as she did those unspeakable things that she did. Her name spilled over his lips and he eased himself up so he was sitting in a more upright position.

Her name was torn from him again in low moan when he decided he could take it no longer, he reached for her and stopped what she was doing by pulling on her hips and sitting her so she was straddling him. He grinned as he kissed her.

Ronnie gasped and threw her head back as he moved her onto him and winced slightly, the position hurt her ankle. She wrapped her arms around him as he kissed her and kissed him back. She leaned sideways to fall onto her back and pull him on top of her.

She wrapped her legs around him and breathed his name as she arched against him. She ran her hands over his shoulders and up into his hair.

Ray framed her face with his hands and kissed her and he thrust into her. He moaned her name over and over again as he moved frantically inside her. His hands journeyed from her lower back, down her thighs and back up until he once again held face and stole another lingering kiss

Ronnie shoved her head back into the pillow. His frantic pace was driving her crazy. She let out a low whining moan and closed her eyes as she cried out his name.

Ray buried his face into her neck and moaned her name, over and over again as he slammed into her repeatedly. He couldn't think straight, the smell of her was clouding his mind and intoxicating him as he breathed her in. As amazing as Rowan had been, she couldn't compare to Ronnie, he didn't love Rowan. His heart was Ronnie's and always would be.

He slid an arm around the back of her neck and slid it into her hair as he planted hungry kisses up her neck until he once again reached her lips. He encouraged her to raise her head off the pillow as he took all that she would give him. Nothing could compare to this.

Ronnie shook beneath him as wave after wave hit her. She cried out his name again and again, he'd never been like this before. She kissed him back, ignoring the tears that streamed from her eyes as she was completely overwhelmed.

Ray held her tighter to him as she shook, trying to stem the trembling, knowing he was causing it and relishing it as he kept his face close to hers, his forehead resting against hers. He could feel her tears as they fell, streaking his cheeks as they trailed down hers. He worried that he was hurting her, but her moans told him different. He pulled his head away to look at her as he felt his release and he pulled her even closer to him. His eyes rolled shut as his body stilled and he fell onto his side, dragging her with him as he kissed her softly.

Ronnie gave a final shriek as she felt him finally come, setting her off for a final time. She gasped for air, barely able to move.

His breathing was laboured, but he smiled down at her and kissed her tears away.

"Don't cry, Ron," he told her softly as he brushed the wet marks from her cheeks with his thumbs.

She managed a smile at Ray as he wiped at her tears.

"It was just sooo…." she trailed off, unable to focus her brain. She heaved a great breath and buried her face in his neck. She shivered, how had the room gotten so cold? She tried to reach for the bed covers, but her arm seemed unwilling to move.

"I'm overwhelmed," she finally whispered as her breathing calmed. She pulled away and looked at him. "I love you, and I'm so sorry."

She huddled close to him and closed her eyes.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\

Jane quickly dumped the ravioli into the bowl and dried her hands so she could answer her phone. Ian again. She sighed.

"Yes, Ian, what?"

"Sorry, Jane, but I got through to Ronnie a little while ago. Phil's drinking and he's violent, again. In fact, he's in jail tonight for assaulting that big policeman she's with. So, I'm going to stay over here with Ben a while longer. He'll need family around him and he needs to be kept away from Phil. Tell Peter, I'm leaving him in charge of the chippy and the house. I know that mate of his is staying there and as long as they don't tear up the house it's fine with me. He may want to get another. I don't know how long I'll be here. I've got Bobby and I an apartment near the school where Ben is, so we're fine."

"Ian, how can he run the chippy, he has school!" Jane protested.

"Well, help him out then, Jane. I'm sure you can take a little bit of time to do that, you two being such great mates and all," Ian remarked sarcastically. Jane sighed.

"Fine, Ian, whatever," Jane huffed and closed her phone. Great, poor Peter.

She jumped and stirred the sauce for the ravioli and added the meatballs and smiled at Peter as he and Whitney came bursting in.

"Your father just called," Jane told him. Peter dug his phone out his pocket and looked. He had a missed call from his dad.

"So, what did he want?"

"He spoke to Ronnie and it seems Phil has lost the plot. He's going to stay in American with Ben for awhile longer. He's not sure how long. He wants you to look after the chippy, and the house. He said it's fine that Fatboy is here and says if you want another friend to stay that's fine, too."

She gave the sauce a stir and sighed. "I'll help you with the chippy. I have a feeling Ian doesn't mind if you let friends stay because he's going to charge you rent," Jane remarked.

"That sounds like dad," Peter said and shook his head. "Rent to live in my own house," he grouched. He looked at Whitney.

"Want to rent a room?" he joked.

Whitney widened her eyes at him and grinned. "Sure, how much?"

"Oh, um, well," he looked at Jane who shrugged.

"Which room?"

"I should think give her your dad's room, it has the en suite bathroom. I'm sure as a girl in a house with two boys she'd appreciate that," Jane suggested.

Whitney nodded. "Let me check my paperwork and see what I can afford. I've got school to pay for now too, you know," she grinned.

Peter nodded.

"I'm gonna go get cleaned up," Peter said as he realized the time. "Molly will be here soon."

He ran upstairs. Jane and Whitney looked at each other and snorted laughter.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\

Janine caught up to Ffion.

"I know how you feel," she called out. Ffion stopped and turned around. Janine. What did she want? She didn't really know the woman although she'd heard a lot about her. Ffion had never really been around her.

"What are you talking about?" Ffion wanted to know.

"That man in there. I like...more mature men too. I don't blame you for fancying him," Janine remarked.

"Your point?"

"Well, did you notice that Bradley fancies you?"

"No, he doesn't," Ffion scoffed.

"He does, he really does. You know, you could maybe make that man jealous. You know, if you don't fancy Bradley yourself, you could use him," Janine suggested.

Ffion tilted her head at Janine and considered Janine's words.

"I don't know. Is that really a good idea?"

"Why not? Make the man you really fancy a bit jealous, you'll have him at your feet," Janine told her. Ffion gnawed her lip.

"So, you think I should go back in there and flirt with Bradley."

Janine nodded. "Yes, right now. Give it a try."

Ffion paused a moment and then nodded. She went back into the pub. Bradley had moved back to where he and his father had been sitting, although Max had left. Bradley was preoccupied with his phone, but looked up when he noticed Ffion standing next to him. He scooted over and let her sit down.

"Buy me a drink?" she asked him and smiled. Bradley furrowed his brow but nodded. Ffion glanced out of the corner of her eye to see if Gerald was looking in her direction and grabbed Bradley's face and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you," she said and watched him go to the bar.


	8. Chapter 8

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 8**

Gerald knew that he hadn't been very convincing, but at this point he didn't really care. Ffion had said that he could have her at any time. He may just take her up on that offer he decided.

His eyebrows went up slightly as he saw her come back into the pub. He watched her flirt with the ginger man indifferently as he sipped his pint. She was playing games. He didn't do games. He turned his attention away from her and back into the conversation with Patrick and Charlie.

/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Shaz nodded.

"I'd guessed as much. Katie is so different from Fee. You wouldn't think that they were sisters, just because their personalities are so opposite."

Shaz looked up with a frown as Ffion came back. Hadn't she just said she was sleepy? She couldn't help but roll her eyes at Fee's behaviour towards Bradley.

Rhys frowned as he saw Ffion come back in and begin flirting with Bradley. But she was clearly upset or something. He knew how she acted when she was flirting and that wasn't her usual behavior.

"That is not like her," Rhys muttered. "Something made her come back in."

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

Ffion sighed and gazed at the wall. She ran a hand through her hair. She wasn't really in the mood. She knew Bradley was friends with Shaz and Rhys. She propped her chin in her hand and glanced over in Gerald's direction.

Why bother making him jealous? Yes, she fancied Gerald a great deal, but she had a mind that he felt the same. So no point in all this. She didn't even like Bradley well enough to try and flirt. She rubbed her face and watched Bradley as he walked back over to her.

"Thanks, Bradley," she said as he handed her the drink. "Look, I'm sorry, but I'm just...tired and I don't know why I..." she trailed off and let out a long breath. "I'm gonna go."

Bradley looked at Ffion in confusion as she rambled on.

"Sure," he said and shrugged. He watched as she stood up and headed for the door. She pushed her hair behind her ear and glanced at Gerald as she opened the door and left. She heaved a great breath and began walking home.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

Rowan put the potatoes on to boil and started prepping the chicken. She looked over at Alyssa.

"What vegetables do you want, or do you feel up to making a salad?" she asked as she finished putting the chicken in the pan.

Jack let out a small chuckle and went to the fridge to get himself a beer before going into the front room and sitting down in front of the TV.

Janine sat and watched Ffion leave the pub again. Stupid girl. Janine could wait. She'd set Ffion on Bradley again, get Bradley to fall for Ffion and then break his heart. Janine smiled. It should work like a charm. She was looking forward to getting back at Bradley.

The car sputtered to a stop and Davina cursed and slammed her hands against the steering wheel. Why had she decided to drive through London like an idiot? Because she wanted to and she wanted do some shopping. She sighed and glared out the window. She wasn't even sure where she was. She climbed out of the car and slammed the door a bit rougher than she'd intended.

She looked around. At least she'd broken down near a B&B. She opened the back door of the car and pulled out her bag and went inside to get herself a room. Davina smiled as she checked into the B&B.

"Look, can you tell me if there is somewhere around where I could get my car fixed?"

The woman behind the desk nodded. "It's called The Arches," the woman said and drew Davina a little map.

"Thank you," Davina said and went up to her room. Hopefully, she wouldn't be here too long, she thought as she headed up to her room.

Jane went into the front room and looked at Fatboy, Whitney and Peter.

"Right, the food is almost ready. Will Molly be here soon?" she asked Peter.

"Yeah, should be," Peter replied.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

Shaz frowned as Ffion suddenly left again. Something was definitely up. She chewed her lip and looked at Rhys and nodded.

"What though? She was only outside for less than two minutes," she replied thoughtfully.

Rhys shook his head. "No idea. That's strange even for her," he remarked. "Maybe we should go, make sure she's okay. I still can't figure out why she was talking to Alyssa's father," he remarked and took a drink of his pint.

"You don't think...she...no...surely not," he stammered. "She wasn't being flirty with him at all," he finally said dismissively.

Shaz' eyes widened. Surely not. Yeah Fee liked the older guys but... No. Rhys was right. She shook her head firmly, then paused as a small niggle of doubt crept into her mind.

"But..Rhys, what if..." she bit her lip. "Gerald is staying with Lyss and Jack. And Fee was there last night, hungover, and..." she stopped again. "What if she woke up?" she asked quietly. "She wouldn't have known who he was. Just another bloke."

She looked at him cautiously as she spoke. She hoped that Ffion hadn't. But there was no way of telling. Not without asking.

"I don't want to know," Rhys finally said. "She would have done it either way, whether she knew who he was or not. But...I really don't want to think about it. I'll do whatever I have to do to make sure it doesn't happen anymore." Rhys finished with a tone of finality.

"If you and I being there for her doesn't work, then I'm putting her into counseling. Then maybe she'll realize what she's doing to herself. I do think it's odd though that she walked away from someone who seemed interested in her," he remarked and jerked his chin in Bradley's direction.

Shaz nodded with a sigh. Poor Fee didn't know what she was going to hit her. She drained her lager and looked at him.

"She needs to want help for therapy to work Rhys. If she doesn't want it then it won't help."

She checked the level of his pint and then looked over at Bradley too. It was odd behaviour for Ffion. He was right.

"We'll talk to her," she decided. "Find out what's up."

Odd business when the fact that she's not trying to pick someone up makes me think there's something wrong," he sighed and drained his pint.

"Do you mind talking to her first? I can't see she would be thrilled to discuss her love life with her brother," he remarked. "I'm ready, let's go."

Shaz nodded.

"Course. Id be uncomfortable talking about that sort of thing with my brother," she smiled, then frowned "If I had one. Which I don't," she shrugged and slipped her hand into his as she slid off the stool.

"And you think that something's wrong because Ffion not being flirty is unusual. It's perfectly justifiable Rhys," she said as she squeezed his hand and lead him outside.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

Ffion finally got home and flopped on her bed. She looked at her phone. No calls yet. She sighed and pulled off her shoes and tossed them across the room. She should have got Gerald's number.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

Gerald finished his pint and said goodbye to his new friends, promising Patrick that he would definitely be in the bookies later that week. He strolled out of the pub and headed for home.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

Alyssa smiled and stood up after draining her tea.

"Tell me what you want me to do and I'll help you," she smiled at Rowan and looked over the ingredients in front of her.

Gerald turned his key in the lock, he was very aware that he hadn't seen Alyssa since her explosion this morning. He had no idea to how her mood was. He sighed as he shut the door and heard a familiar voice from the kitchen. He made his way through and raised his eyebrows at the sight of Rowan.

He nodded at her, "Rowan," he acknowledged then turned his attention to Alyssa warily.

"Hello," she said and gave him a small smile. She put the chicken in the pan and glanced at Alyssa as she began to cook it.

She smiled. "You can relax Dad. I'm not mad anymore," she chuckled.

Gerald exhaled and then grinned at her. He noticed the array of ingredients and looked over them curiously.

"What's cooking?"

"Well, Rowan is making chicken and I think she's doing mash and I'm doing salad, too," she replied as she turned back to what she was doing. "Jack's in the lounge," she added.

Gerald watched them both for an few minutes then went to sit with Jack in front of the TV.

Rowan nodded back at Alyssa's father.

"You're right, he does seem a lot different when he's not around your mother," Rowan said softly.

Alyssa nodded with a small smile and looked up from the tomato that she was slicing.

"He sort of.. I don't know.. fits in with her 'façade,'" she sighed. "But when Mum's not around he's so much more relaxed. More himself," she added as she picked up a pepper and took the core out.

Rowan watched Alyssa's father a moment and then turned her attention back to the chicken.

"So, how long do you think he's here for?"

Alyssa shrugged as she tipped the contents of her chopping board into a bowl that she had already put lettuce into.

"Until he works up the courage to face mum, I suppose. Until he wants to go back," she concluded. "Which could take time. He stormed out halfway through Christmas Dinner. Mum's going to be pissed at him."

"And I think he's not too happy with her either. I can see where you get your temper from," Rowan teased as she took the chicken from the heat and began to mash the potatoes. "I find you a little bit scary and I think you terrified Chris this morning."

Alyssa sighed as she reached for the cucumber.

"I know. It's why I hate getting angry which only serves to wind me up even more. It's ridiculous," she said as she cut a slice of cucumber harder than was necessary. She took a deep breath and calmed herself then smiled at Rowan. "I didn't mean to scare you and Chris. I was just so frustrated. I had both sides of the story and neither of you were listening to each other or giving each other a chance to explain. But," she shrugged then grinned, "it worked."

"Yes, it did," Rowan admitted. "It was really strange, we've never really fought before. I hadn't realized how on edge we both were about this whole 'trying for a baby thing'."

She finished the potatoes and put them on the table, then put the chicken on the table, too.

"I'm glad we're going to put it on hold. I don't want to lose him. I hated fighting, hated the idea that he might leave for good. I'm not sure how I would have coped."

Rowan sighed. "Okay, that's ready," she said and looked at Alyssa.

Alyssa chuckled and finished slicing up the cucumber, then put it in the bowl with the rest of the salad ingredients. She placed the bowl in the centre of the table then went and got the salt and pepper grinders out of the cupboard.

"You did a good job of hiding your argument though," she sighed. "I didn't really notice anything until I got the call off Gem, then JT said some stuff and Jack had noticed Chris was a little tense," she shrugged. "I wish I had noticed sooner, that way you two wouldn't have been so upset with each other for as long as you had been," she placed the grinders on the table and looked it over to make sure they had forgotten nothing.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\\\/\/\\/\/\/\

Jack nodded as Gerald sat down.

"How'd you do?" Jack asked.

Gerald sat down in the armchair near Jack and grinned

"Lost 5-1 on the Stratford but won 3-1 on the 3:15 at Cheltenham. I've done worse," he shrugged.

"Alyssa's calmed down," he commented.

Jack nodded. "I think it's helping that Rowan's here. They're so close, but can't be around each other as much as when they shared that flat so she always seems to be in a better mood when they do get to be together," Jack remarked. "She'll be staying tonight."

Gerald looked over at Rowan and Alyssa.

"I'm glad," he nodded. "That's she's got people around her that she loves," he clarified. "And that she's happy, which she clearly is. And you seem alright," he shrugged. "I'm happy for you to marry her if you both want to."

"She's got a lot of people that love her, too. But with those two, it's a bit more than that. They've adopted each other as sisters. They get together sometimes and it's scary the way their minds work in synch. In fact, when we went to Rowan and Chris' wedding in Virginia, all of Rowan's kin pretty much considered Alyssa part of them. Rowan has a rather…interesting…background," he commented with a chuckle.

He looked over at Gerald. "I appreciate that you're happy for me to marry her, but in all honesty, I love her and I won't let anybody stop me from marrying her," he said more forcefully than he'd intended.

Gerald raised his eyebrows. If Jack felt like that then it was good. At least Alyssa wasn't marrying someone that didn't truly want her. He clearly felt strongly about her. Satisfied, Gerald nodded and looked towards the kitchen where Alyssa and Rowan were working. He could hear talking, but not words. He sighed and looked back over at Jack.

"How long till we're fed d'you reckon?" he grinned.

Jack glanced in the kitchen and saw Rowan moving back and forth from where he knew the table was. He shifted to try and get a better look.

"I'd say pretty soon," he observed with a grin. He never thought he would admit it, but he was beginning to like Alyssa's father.

Alyssa grabbed the cutlery quickly and set it out around the plates. Satisfied, she smiled at Rowan then poked her head into the lounge.

"Dinner's ready," she smiled before retreating back to the kitchen and grabbing out some beers for Jack, Gerald and Rowan.

Gerald grinned at Jack as he stood and followed Alyssa into the kitchen. He inhaled appreciatively and smiled at the two women.

"Smells good," he praised as he took a seat and took the beer off Alyssa with a thank you.

"I don't think it could have been fixed sooner, to be honest," Rowan told her.

She smiled at Gerald's compliment.

"Hopefully it tastes as good as it smells," Rowan said with a smile and sat down.

"Of course it will," Jack retorted confidently. Rowan rolled her eyes and sighed.

Alyssa chuckled as she took her seat next to Jack and used the tongs to put a load of salad onto her plate.

Rowan served herself chicken and then potatoes, handing them to Gerald when she'd finished so he could pass them along. She looked at Alyssa.

"So, do you think Roxy is going to unbend on the closure of the salon and open for New Years' Eve? She could miss out on a lot of money from people wanting there hair done before they go out to parties. Maybe she could do some sort of exclusive booking or something, like a New Year beauty package," Rowan asked and took a bite of potato. She hurriedly swallowed her food. "I should say, though, that I overheard Kim talking about this in the Vic to Maddie. Kim's worked in a lot of salons hasn't she?"

Rowan took a sip of her water and chuckled. "At least since Chelsea ran off you don't have to put up with her anymore."

Jack grinned and snorted a laugh. "You have to admit though, Chelsea was asking to be humiliated in front of everyone like that."

Alyssa smiled, nodded, then shrugged.

"She mentioned it the other day. To be honest, I don't think Roxy's too bothered about the Salon. I mean, she's got the pub to take care of 24/7," Alyssa spooned some mash onto her plate and placed the bowl in the centre of the table. "I might put something on anyway, pull Kim and Maddie in. Gayna has gone on holiday for Christmas and isn't back until after New Year, so we will be understaffed but really, if I put Maddie on nails and have Kim doing hair, it shouldn't be too bad. As long as we keep making a profit, Roxy can't really berate us," she looked down at her food, plans spinning around in her head. She smiled as she looked back up. "And, to be honest, being at home all the time is driving me crazy."

She groaned "Don't even get me started on Chelsea. She wound me up from Day 1! The woman would just not give me a break!"

Jack looked at Rowan and put on a pained expression at Alyssa's comment.

"I feel so loved. We're not even married yet and spending time alone with me is driving her insane," he whined.

Rowan burst out laughing. "That's because you're insane, Jack," she told him.

Jack considered Rowan's remark a moment and then nodded. "Fair point," he conceded and winked at Alyssa as he took a drink of his beer.

Rowan looked at Alyssa. "At least she's gone now. Though I still think it's a bit childish that she ran off just because everyone was laughing at her because she got dumped by Jack Branning," she shrugged.

"You should call Roxy after dinner and tell her. I'll even make you some food if you want. Some nice little finger food things," Rowan grinned and took another bite of her chicken.

Gerald sat silently as he observed his daughter and her new found family. He had to admit, they were a lot more relaxed and playful around each other than life had been at home for her. He raised his eyebrows at Jack and Rowans immediate retort and admired their casual ease around each other. He smiled over the table at Alyssa as he caught her eye and continued with his food, just happy to watch them.

Alyssa chuckled and rolled her eyes at Jack before glancing briefly at Gerald. She returned his smile before looking back at Rowan.

"I'll make some plans first, just so I'm ready if Roxy does agree. There's no point getting Roxy's permission if Kim and Maddie can't work, because without them it can't happen," she smiled at Rowan's offer of food and nodded readily. "Thanks Ro, I'll keep you posted on what Roxy thinks and whether or not we can go ahead. I'm sure she won't say no though," she grinned back.

"After what I overheard, I think you'll find they'll be more than willing. I think they're just as bored as you are," Rowan told her. She looked at Gerald.

"So, how are you liking Walford?" she asked him.

Alyssa nodded and looked up at her Dad.

Gerald raised his eyebrows at Rowan.

"It's fine so far. I mean, there's the variety of accents to get used to," he pointed his fork at Jack and then Rowan. "A Mancunian and an American," he clarified. "Then the east end accent too. Very different from Birmingham," he shrugged. "You have a pub and a bookies though," he smiled.

"And Southern American to boot," Rowan chuckled. "Although, I've been here 10 years and mine's modulated a bit," she admitted.

Jack snorted and Rowan looked at him. "It's not when you get mad," he told her. Rowan nodded in agreement.

"True," she grinned. "But you have to admit having been there, mine isn't nearly as bad as the rest of my kin. I'm willing to bet Roxy only understands about half of what JT says and he still has a hard time following what people are saying sometimes."

"I don't understand a word that comes out of her mouth," Jack said, pointing at Alyssa. "But I think that's because all you women talk nonsense," he joked.

Alyssa smiled at him.

"Or maybe it's because you don't understand English!" she shot back at him, she grinned at the mental image of him sitting at a table with a confused look on his face as he tried to follow a conversation.

She looked back at Rowan. "I agree with you about everyone else though, even when your accent does thicken its not nearly as heavy as Gem, Junior, Louisa and the rest. You have to listen carefully when they start having a conversation or you lose what they're saying," she grinned.

Gerald watched. Kin? Rowan's family obviously, and Alyssa had met them? So clearly she had gone over to America to meet them from what he could gather. He smiled as he chewed. And Rowan could cook amazingly. This meal was delicious. He wasn't surprised that she now owned a restaurant.

Jack grinned cheekily at Alyssa. "What?"

Rowan snorted a laugh at Jack's response then looked at Alyssa.

"Actually, Junior started seeing a speech therapist to tone down his accent after he started his charter flight business. Because of some of the contacts he made when he was at school he gets a lot of local politicians and their families hiring him to fly them to DC. He didn't think it would help his image if he spoke like a dumb-ass hayseed all the time," she told Alyssa. She finished her food and sighed.

"Well, I think I'm going to clean up and then get some sleep. I can't believe how tired I am, what a day," she mused. Jack picked up his empty plate, stood and grabbed Rowan's.

"I may not be able to understand a word you say, but you did cook, only fair I wash up," he said and winked at Alyssa. He walked around to Alyssa, leaned over and mumbled some gibberish in her ear and then took the dishes to the kitchen.

Gerald's eyebrows went up. Dumb-ass Hayseed? That was new. He guessed that JT was the guy from the pub that Alyssa had spoken to last night. The one that handed her the phone that had left her troubled. He liked this playful atmosphere though. The three of them interacted and bounced off each other so easily. He was enjoying watching them immensely.

Alyssa rolled her eyes at Jack fondly and grabbed the rest of the plates off the table. She handed them to Jack and hugged Rowan once she stood up.

"Night, Ro," she smiled as she let go and grabbed the condiments off the table as well to put them away. She looked at Gerald and smiled as she took his plate off him. She handed that over too and then grabbed the tea towel. She beamed at Jack and then let loose a load of gibberish before looking at him expectantly.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\\

Rowan hugged Alyssa back and waved at Gerald and Jack before heading upstairs. She changed and climbed into bed with a sigh. She curled up around the pillow and gazed at the wall as her mind drifted over last night. She had expected his fierceness, and had thoroughly enjoyed it, but his gentleness had undone her.

She loved Chris, loved him with every fiber of her being. She shivered and clutched the pillow tighter. She couldn't think like this.

She found herself wondering if Ronnie hadn't taken Ray back, what might have happened, if she'd been alone with him again, in the flat. A part of her wished for it. She pushed that thought away and squeezed her eyes shut. What was she going to do?

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\\

Alyssa smiled at Jack as she dutifully dried the plates that he washed. She reached and put the last one away as he drained the sink then got her half-full glass from the table and took a sip.

Gerald watched and cleared his throat. She looked up at him, eyebrow raised. He studied her for a moment before speaking.

"Does Rowan often stay here?" he asked curiously.

Alyssa shrugged. "She doesn't like being on her own and Chris, her husband," she added for Gerald's benefit. "Is working nights for the next few days or weeks, I can't remember which," she shrugged. "But Ro knows she has a place here if she ever needs somewhere to stay."

Gerald nodded. "You're fond of her," he noted.

Alyssa smiled. "It's a bit more than being fond of her. She's my sister."

Gerald narrowed his eyes for a moment then nodded. "So she's staying for a few days or weeks," he clarified.

Alyssa shrugged "Up to her, we don't mind her staying and she knows that. But I can guarantee that she will be up really early to get back to the restaurant," she sighed. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "That reminds me, I need to get started on those plans for a pamper day at the Salon," she smiled happily and went from the kitchen to the front room and dug in the draw that held her paperwork for the Salon and dug out the sheet with the stock inventory on it.

She settled herself at the table with a pad and pen and went through the inventory to see what treatments she could offer. They were running low on some products, she sighed. She was going to have to call the suppliers and make some orders.

"Besides, whenever she does stay, she cooks, so it's a definite plus," Jack put in. He grabbed himself a beer from the fridge and handed one to Gerald before heading outside to smoke.

Alyssa smiled and shook her head as Jack went outside. She knew he wouldn't be long. It was freezing.

"Sometimes I think that's the only reason he puts up with me and Rowan when she stays. Because Rowan cooks and what she cooks is delicious" she grinned at Gerald.

He opened the beer and gestured for her to take a seat. She took the one next to him and sighed as she sat.

"No word from Mum?" she asked curiously.

"Do you honestly think there would be?" he responded, surprised.

Alyssa shook her head. "No. I just wondered. I mean, I only lived there for..." she stopped talking as she counted. "About 21 maybe 22 years, you and mum have been married a hell of a lot longer."

"Don't swear," was his only reply.

She laughed. "That's hardly swearing Dad, and I know for a fact that you say worse."

Jack came back inside and dropped onto the chair. He picked up his beer from the coffee table.

"So, what we talking about?" he asked and took a drink of his beer.

Alyssa smiled at him."Mum," she answered with a sideways look at Gerald. "You don't think she'll get in touch then?" she pressed.

Gerald snorted and shook his head "No. She's got your brother and Sophia to keep her entertained," he answered then took a gulp of beer.

Alyssa nodded silently. She didn't miss her brother or her mother one little bit. But she had missed her Dad. A tiny bit.

"You're welcome to stay as long as you like," Jack said. "It's not as though we don't have the room.

Jack rubbed his face and yawned. "Think I'm going to turn in," he murmured and drained his beer. He pressed his lips against the top of her head then tossed his can in the bin before heading upstairs.

Gerald nodded. "Thank you."

Alyssa smiled up at him as he left and ascended the stairs. "Night," she called after him.

Gerald held his can idly in his hand as he studied Alyssa once more, she turned back to him and frowned at the look on his face.

"What?" she questioned.

He nodded after Jack. "He loves you a great deal," he noted.

Alyssa nodded with a smile. "I love him too," she confirmed for him. Gerald nodded slowly. "And you're sure he's the one you want to marry?"

She grinned and nodded. "Absolutely certain that he's the one for me," she assured him.

"I had a talk with him earlier," he told her and held up a hand to stop her protests, "And he convinced me without a doubt that he really does love you. Very cliché stuff but it was clear that he meant every word."

Alyssa stood, placed her glass in the sink and then turned to beam at her father. "I know how he feels Dad. I see it in his eyes every time he looks at me. And I don't care how cliché he sounded," she told him. "I love him. He loves me. It's all very simple," she grinned and bent to kiss his cheek. "And right now the man I love is most likely semi-naked and in bed. So," she straightened up, "if you'll excuse me," she grinned and made her way upstairs.

"Goodnight, Alyssa," he called after her with an amused shake of his head.

Jack looked up at Alyssa as she came into the bedroom.

"Ooh, couldn't wait could you?" he grinned at her. "Glad I didn't have to come fetch you."

He pulled aside the covers and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Come to me my lovely one," he purred in a goofy, semi-German accent as he patted the empty spot next to him.

Alyssa rolled her eyes at him and chuckled, she swiftly undressed herself before pulling her pyjamas out from under her pillow and slipping into them.

Alyssa clambered in beside him and snuggled into his chest as she pulled the covers back over herself.

"You're a nutter," she mumbled with a smile as she tilted her head slightly to looked up at his face. "I'm going to lose my sanity if I marry you," she told him.

Gerald drained his beer and tossed the empty can away. He plodded upstairs and smiled at the quiet conversation behind one door and the soft rhythmic breathing behind the other. He chuckled to himself and shut his bedroom door behind him.

"Mmmm," Jack sighed and buried his face in her hair.

"Then I guess we should just stay in bed, wouldn't want to endanger anyone with our insanity," he breathed in her ear and closed his eyes.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\\

Molly prodded her mum's shoulder and sighed. Alex has fallen asleep in the armchair. She tried again, this time whispering her mum's name.

Alex woke with a small sigh and raised her eyebrows at Molly standing over her.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Can you take me to Peter's please?" Molly asked with a glance at the time. "I'm going to be late."

Alex smiled and looked over at Gene and Sam. The Gene Genie commentary was still running. She heaved herself out of the seat and slipped on her shoes as she grabbed her car keys off the fridge. She went over and kissed Gene's cheek.

"Dropping Molly off at Peter's," she told him as she turned to her daughter's desperate stare and followed her outside.

Molly scrambled from the car with a hasty thank you and goodbye to her Mum then ran to the front door and knocked.

Alex pulled away after Molly had been let inside and drove home. She liked this car. Her car. She loved it.

Jane turned at the knock on the door and opened it. She smiled as she saw Molly standing there and moved aside so she could come in.

"Molly's here," she called out. Peter came into the kitchen and gave Molly a quick hug.

"So, your mum let you leave then? I'm glad," he said. He led her into the front room where Fatboy and Whitney were sitting and watching tele. Whitney grinned and waved at Molly.

"Glad you made it," she said. "I might be moving in here. I'll need some place more settled if I'm going to manage going to school, even part time."

"Yeah, dad doesn't know when he's going to come back to America so he told me I could invite someone else to stay. Jane reckons he's going to start charging me rent," he sighed.

Fatboy looked up as Molly came in.

"Y'alright Molls," he grinned.

"Heya, Fats," she chuckled back.

Molly hugged Whit and Fatboy then sighed as she sat down next to Peter.

"Well, if he charges rent then at least you don't have to pay it all," she shrugged. "You could split it if you have to. But it's not a sure thing yet right?" she questioned then grinned. "Gene's threatened me with rent money. I'm just going to tell him that I'm a live in babysitter," she chuckled.

Peter snorted.

"The big difference there though is, Mr. Hunt is probably joking, my dad isn't," he told her, his tone serious.

Whitney nodded in agreement.

"Okay, food is ready," Jane announced as she finished putting it on the table.

Peter sighed and got up and held out his hand to Molly to help her up.

Whitney chuckled and went over to sit down.

"This looks great, Jane," she said.

Jane smiled.

Molly sighed. She knew that Gene was only joking. She really didn't like Ian. In her opinion he was an over-bearing prat that needed to appreciate what he had not mourn what he hadn't got. He had already pushed Lucy away to the point where she had vanished. Jane too. He was in danger of losing Peter if he wasn't careful. But Molly wasn't sure that Ian understood that. He needed a massive wake up call.

She held his hand supportively as they made they their way to the table and took her place. She grinned up and Jane and nodded her agreement.

"It smells delicious, too," she added with a grin.

"Dig in everyone," Jane invited and began to pass the ravioli around the table.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Ray felt Ronnie shiver and curl around him. He reached out blindly for the blanket and pulled it around them both. He pressed his lips to the top of her head and left them there as the perfume of her hair once again invaded his nose and he inhaled deeply. He didn't think that he would ever be able to get enough of her.

Ray rested his cheek on top of her head and closed his eyes.

"I love you too, Ronnie, more than anything. And it scares me. I've never felt like this about anyone. Ever," he kissed her forehead again and twirled a lock of her hair around his finger gently. "I'll never push you away Ronnie or leave you because it's the biggest mistake I could ever make and I don't want to lose you. I love you too much," he pulled her closer to him and held her tightly as his eyes closed. Just the feel of her made him feel better. Holding her made him feel complete. He wasn't going to lose her. He didn't think he could cope if he did.

"I don't want to lose you either," she whispered and shifted in the circle of his arms so she could look at him. "You're the only one that knows me anymore. I don't want to lose that and I don't want to lose this," she added and cuddled close again. Nothing could hurt her when she was in Ray's arms. She pressed her lips to his chest and sighed in contentment. She would not let something like that happen again. She couldn't bear the idea of being without him.

He shifted and looked down at her.

"Did I see steak in the kitchen when I came in?" he questioned curiously.

His question made her tilt her head and look up at him.

"What do you have, some kind of steak radar?" she asked in disbelief. "I'm standing there in next to nothing, but you notice steaks that are inside the refrigerator, _inside it_," she continued and put her forehead against his chest and sighed. "I don't know how you do that."

She toyed with his chest hair and gave a small chuckle. "Yes, there are steaks and also a salad. I don't have any potatoes, but I didn't think that would be a problem."

She looked up at him. "However, I'm not sure I can move," she remarked with a wry grin and raised her eyebrows at him. "I'm boneless."

Ray chuckled and shrugged as much as his position allowed him to. "I'm in a steak kind of mood," he said simply then grinned down at her. "Besides, you know all my favourite foods," he explained as he gazed at her affectionately. "I can do without potatoes."

He chuckled. "I did notice you standing there in next to nothing Ron. In case you hadn't realised, we've already sorted that one out," he said and let go of her with one arm so that he could gesture at them both holding each other tightly. "I also notice that you're wearing even less now," he kissed her forehead.

"Well if the steak is in the fridge and there isn't anything cooking as such then," he shrugged "There's nothing to say we can't have a nap," he yawned exaggeratedly and pulled her closer as his arms closed around her and shifted her slightly so he was a little more comfortable.

Ronnie chuckled at Ray's comments.

She sighed as he shifted her and yawned hugely. "I think that sounds like a good idea," she remarked softly and closed her eyes as she rested in the circle of his arms.

He stroked her hair softly as his cheek rested against her forehead and her hair tickled his face.

"Nap time, Veronica," he mumbled quietly.

Her eyes flew open and she jolted a bit. He never called her Veronica! She blinked a few times and then closed her eyes again. She decided she liked hearing him call her Veronica.

Ray felt her tense and then settle. He sighed inwardly and then smiled. He hadn't been sure how she would have reacted to him using her given name. She hadn't protested though, just seemed a little surprised. Good. It felt weird though, calling her Veronica. Her name to him had always been Ronnie. He wondered when it was that he had found out her proper name. A smile grew across his face as he remembered her using it at the small B&B they had used when they had gone for their weekend away. Ray and Veronica Carling she had said to the elderly woman who had given them the room.

He frowned, Veronica Carling? Ronnie Carling? He looked down at the peaceful woman in his arms and pressed another kiss to her forehead. He smiled wistfully. Maybe.

Rhys followed Shaz out and slung his arm around her as they walked home. He went looking for Ffion the moment they got in and found her in her room, already curled up and asleep. He went back into the front room.

"She's out. I'm not going to wake her," he told Shaz and began to ransack the cupboards for something to put together for dinner.

Shaz made sure that Fees door was shut tightly and chucked him some pasta from the cupboard and got out a jar of Dolmio sauce to warm up too.

She rustled around in a lower cupboard and grabbed out one pan for the pasta and another for the sauce then put them both on the hob and shrugged at him.

"It's quick and easy," she offered by way of explanation.

Rhys nodded absently at Shaz' comment, his mind distracted by Ffion's odd behavior.

"Maybe she's just ill, she could be coming down with a cold or something," he wondered aloud.

Shaz sighed and went about cooking them food while Rhys worried about his little sister. She leant back against the counter as the pasta cooked and the sauce bubbled sluggishly. She turned the heat down on the sauce before it ended up boiling and put her arms around Rhys neck and made him look at her.

"Don't dwell on it now. I know it's weird, especially for Fee, but don't think about it until she wakes up. Then I'll have a talk with her and find out what's going on," she pressed a light kiss to his lips and drew back again. "We will fix this Rhys. Tomorrow. So stop worrying. Please."

"I won't," Rhys said, trying to sound reassuring. "I just wish I'd noticed all this sooner. Surely someone else in the family noticed, Gareth maybe? I can't believe no one ever said. Katie wasn't too happy about it either. She put more time in raising Ffion than mum did," he sighed. "Maybe we should make this Barry trip a group thing. We could have Ginger and Simon come along as well that way including Fee wouldn't seem so strange," he suggested, then got up and got them both beers from the fridge. He opened hers and placed it on the counter and then opened his and took a long drink.

He put his beer down and peered over her shoulder at the stove as he wound his arms around her waist.

"I hope your family isn't as insane as mine," he mumbled in her ear and began to press kisses along her neck. "I'm nervous about meeting them," he admitted.

Shaz smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder and slipped her arms around his waist and she hugged him.

"We're not as problematic," she grinned and kissed his cheek. "And don't be nervous Rhys, they'll love you," she smiled "And the reason that they'll love you is because you make me happy and I love you," she reassured him, then her lips curved in a grin. "Then, of course you add in all your natural charm and your accent and my family will be putty in your hands," she teased and squeezed him a little tighter around his middle.

She sighed as she heard an ominous bubbling sound from behind her and quickly turned in his arms to turn the heat down on the pasta to stop it overflowing more than it already had. She grabbed a fork and speared a piece of pasta to test it. Nearly there.

Rhys' eyebrows went up as Shaz spoke and he grinned.

"My natural charm," he echoed, "good to know."

He reached over and turned off the stove and then backed Shaz up against the wall. He leaned his head down and kissed her as one of his hands moved to trace her breast.

"I'd much rather have you be putty in my hands," he murmured in her ear.

Shaz went up on her tiptoes so that she was at a more even height with him and wrapped her arms around his neck with a grin.

"Good luck with that," she smiled back. "I don't do putty," she said as she pulled him closer to her.

"You don't?" he asked, his tone low and seductive. He slid his hands up under her top and caressed her. He pressed a trail of kisses along her neck until he reached her ear. "Are you sure?" he breathed in her ear as his hands traced a path to the waist of her jeans and unfastened them and slowly pushed the jeans and her knickers down. He slipped a hand between her legs and began to stroke her.

Shaz shuddered and bit back a moan. She nodded slowly as she tried, unsuccessfully, to control herself, "I'm sure," she said unable to stop moan that followed the words. She stepped out of the pile of clothing at her feet and slid her hands to his trousers. She kissed him as she let his jeans fall and pushed his pants down too.

"However, I'm also sure," she kissed him again as she took him in her hand. "That I can turn you into," she slid down the wall until she was crouched in front of him. She looked up at him with a smile, "nothing more than a quivering mess," she finished and stroked a finger down him, then took him in her mouth.

Rhys let out a strangled groan and hurriedly put his hands against the wall to lean against.

"Oh that is…." He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence and leaned his head back. She never ceased to amaze him, this wonderful woman he'd finally found.

Shaz relaxed her throat and took him deeper into her mouth as she massaged him with one hand. She loved that she could do this to him.

Rhys thumped his hand against the wall and let out a strangled groan.

"Oh, Shaz," he breathed. He couldn't get enough when she did this to him. She was incredible. He moaned again, he was so close.

Shaz was encouraged by the noises he was making and increased her pace. She didn't stop until she had pushed him over the brink and kept going until he had stilled and his breathing evened out once more. She leant back against the wall as she stood and kissed his noise.

"Told you," she grinned. "Quivering. Mess." she chuckled.

Rhys looked at her as he tried to catch his breath.

"That is it," he finally gasped out and grabbed her and slung her over his shoulder and carried her to the bedroom. He dropped her on the bed and grinned.

"Now, it's my turn," he growled and bent between her legs.

Shaz shuddered again closed her eyes as the first ripple of feeling washed over her. She let out a soft moan as he worked.

"Rhys, please," she begged as he worked her higher and higher and her hands curled into fists with the duvet clutched in each one.

Rhys briefly raised his head. She hadn't shown him any mercy, he would show none to her.

"Quivering mess, I believe you said," he said to her with a small chuckle and intensified his efforts. He couldn't back down from a challenge. He fully intended to hear her scream.

Shaz let out a longer, louder moan as he kept going. She arched as another wave hit her and she cried out his name as he finally pushed her over the brink. She lay still for a moment as she tried to catch her breath.

Once she had her breathing back to normal she sat up and looked at him.

"See," she exclaimed. "Not putty," she smiled. "And I don't quiver."

"I disagree, I think you were quivering just a bit," he retorted with a grin as he slid up the bed next to her. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to her neck as he slipped his hands over flesh.

Shaz smiled and her arms found their way around his back as she held him down to her. She tilted her head so she could see him and caught his lips in a kiss.

"D'you think we woke Fee?" she whispered quietly as she gazed up at him. "Because," she grinned, "I'm rather hoping we're not done yet," she told him as she brushed her lips over his again, then slid her hand into his hair and lifted her head to give him another kiss.

"Who cares if we woke her or not?" he asked her in a silky tone. "We're in our room with the door shut, we're not even close to being done yet."

He lifted himself above her and thrust into her as he kissed her.

Shaz' grip on him tightened as she raised her hips off the bed and met each thrust he made. Her knees lifted to draw him deeper as she moaned his name loudly.

Rhys slid his hands into her hair and increased his pace as he gasped out her name.

Shaz glued her mouth to his as her body went taut and she held herself against him. Then, she let go and fell backwards onto the bed beneath her with a soft sigh as she regained her breath.

Rhys stiffened and moaned loudly before collapsing next to Shaz. He fought for air as he turned his head to look at her.

He pulled her close to him and wrapped her in his arms.

"I'm not sure I can be bothered with eating now," he sighed. His face split with a yawn and he chuckled. He kissed her forehead and heaved a great breath. "Nope, definitely can't be bothered," he finished and closed his eyes.

Shaz rested against him and closed her arms around his middle. Pasta for breakfast? She shrugged mentally, she could deal with that. She listened as his breathing evened out. She stifled a yawn of her own and let go of him to grab up as much of the duvet as she could. She gave a big tug and then pulled it over the pair of them as she settled back into his embrace.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\

Alex leant against Gene as the presenters for the football game flashed up on screen and started discussing the game. She never saw the point in them. Why talk about something that you had already seen? Surely the most important part was the score and the anticipation leading up to that point? She sighed.

Alex tilted her head to look up at Gene and then looked down at Sam. She smiled as he slept peacefully. He was pouting again. Her head fell back onto Genes shoulder as she frowned at the screen. She had just endured her first ever football match. Granted she had only watched the second half, but still.

"Are you working tomorrow?" she asked him softly as she drew her legs up so that she was curled into him. She had missed this while she had been stuck in hospital. Just being around her family, doing the usual stuff. Like this, sitting with Gene in front of the TV watching rubbish.

Gene put his arm around Alex and nodded.

"Can't leave them to their own devices for too long can I?" he rumbled and drained his beer. "I'll pick Molly up when she's finished at Beale's, you look half gone."

He grinned at her and gave her a squeeze. "How long will he sleep?" he asked and yawned. "I need my beauty rest and all."

Alex smiled down at Sam

"He'll wake up soon. He's going to need to be fed," she explained and leaned closer into him. "You don't need beauty sleep," she mumbled then sighed.

"I missed this, while I was in hospital," she told him as she wrapped an arm around his middle and hugged him. "I know I wasn't there for very long but I did miss home, and you, and Molls."

Her gaze drifted to the tiny Man City scarf around Sam's neck and she smiled. Gene was going to be a fantastic daddy. Especially if you took into consideration the way he was with Molly. A protective Dad, possibly strict in some cases but fantastic all the same. She closed her eyes and daydreamed silently about the future. Their future. All four of them.

Gene grunted and looked at her.

"We missed you, too. We had to eat takeaway since you weren't here to cook for us," he told her. He waited for her reaction and then grinned to show he was teasing.

Alex rolled her eyes and kicked him softly with her bare foot.

"Charming," she snorted then put her head back on his shoulder with a contented sigh. She wouldn't mind spending the rest of her life cuddled up with Gene. He was so warm and...huggable. She grinned and pressed a light kiss to the fabric that covered his shoulder next to where her lips were. She loved the man. Simple as.

Gene glanced at Alex and sighed. She was going all soppy.

Alex smiled up at him and then down at Sam as a sleepy sniffle caught her attention. She beamed happily as his eyes opened hesitantly and she reached over Gene to take him out of the carry-chair.

"Hello, Little man," she smiled down at her son as she rocked him gently. "Say hello to Daddy," she beamed as she looked up at Gene and made sure Sam was facing a direction where he could see his father.

Gene grunted and picked up his empty plate and stood up to take it into the kitchen.

"You've lost your mind, woman," he told her as he walked past, shaking his head.

Alex grinned up at him as she settled Sam into her arms and sorted his mini-scarf so it wouldn't strangle him.

"No, I'm a mother. I'm allowed to coo over my baby," she retorted and looked back down as Sam started to cry. She kissed his forehead and stood up. She made her way over to his nursery and looked back over her shoulder at Gene.

"He's hungry," she explained as she went into the little room.

Gene chuckled and watched her go. He washed up the few dishes and then went outside for a smoke.

He hoped she didn't expect him to get all soppy over the baby. He took a long drag and leaned against the wall. How was he going to cope with all this? It was so far beyond what he was used to. He was beginning to miss Fenchurch, even dealing with that prick Keats had been fun in a way, kept his wits sharp coming up with ways to foil the bastard.

He rubbed at his face and took another drag. On the plus side, only a few weeks before Alex would be able to...he stopped right there. Best not think about it. He groaned and slammed his fist against the wall as he pushed all thoughts from his mind and smoked on in silence.

Alex held Sam carefully as she buttoned her blouse back up. Sam gurgled happily in her arms as she rocked him then held him upright over her shoulder so he could burp. She smiled with relief when he didn't puke down her back and took him back out to the kitchen. No Gene. A thump on the wall outside told her he was smoking. She settled herself back on the sofa with Sam held comfortably against her.

She knew Gene wasn't going to be all cutesy with Sam. It wasn't his style, he wasn't like that with her so she couldn't expect it from him. She didn't expect it from him. But she did know that it would take some time for him to adjust to having a baby around. Alex had gone through this with Molly. Gene only had experience with teenage girls from living with Molly for 7 and a bit months. Not baby boys. But he was trying and that's all she asked.

/\\/\/\/\/\\\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Davina gazed out the window then glanced at her watch. She wondered if any place might be open where she could eat.

She grabbed her bag and headed downstairs and out the door. She wandered onto the Square and noticed the pub. She smiled; they would have food there with any luck. She walked rapidly towards the pub and went inside, glad to be out of the chill. At least there wasn't any snow. She went up to the bar and ordered a glass of wine and asked if she could get a salad.

Tracy nodded and got Davina her wine before going to get the salad.

Davina went and sat down and sipped her wine as she looked around the place. She was drawing stares from the men, but she was used to that and ignored them. She'd had one horribly gone wrong rebound relationship a few months after she had split with Tom and decided she was finished with men. She never should have broken up with Jack, but Tom had been sweet and they'd been happy for a short time. She sighed and dug into her salad when Tracy brought it over.

She quietly ate her food and drank her wine before going back to the B&B. She glared at her car before going inside and hoped once again it wouldn't take too long to fix.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\

Ronnie cracked her eyes open and looked at the clock. 9! Almost too late to eat dinner, although her growling stomach disagreed. She shifted to climb from the bed, but was unable to move. She sighed and reached for Ray's arm to unwind it from her so she could get up. She hissed as her movement brought alive the exquisite soreness in her limbs. She wondered at what had prompted such intensity from him. He'd been frantic, driven, and she could never remember him being quite like that before. Not even after she'd been kidnapped and a week had passed before she'd been able to do anything.

But then, she'd never really kicked him out before. She'd never made him think they were over before.

Her stomach growled again and she rolled her eyes. She couldn't budge his arms, she was going to have to wake him up in order to get out of bed. She put her hand on his cheek and brought her face close to his.

"Ray, wake up, please," she whispered. "I'm hungry, but I can't get up to get some food, you're holding me too tight, I can't move."

Ray felt Ronnie shifting around and was aware exactly how close her face was to his. He relented and cracked open an eye to look at her, he grunted.

"Well, I was all in favour of getting up and eating those steaks earlier," he retorted, "but someone," he opened his other eye and gazed at her intently, "decided that they were unable to move."

He let go of her and folded his arms across his chest, feigning a strop as he pouted at her indignantly.

Ronnie's eyebrows flew up at his behavior. She could feel the laughter bubbling and rolled her lips under her teeth as she looked at him, trying to keep her expression straight. She calmed herself and spoke.

"There was nothing stopping you from cooking those steaks, you know," she shot back and then, unable to stop it, she burst into helpless laughter.

Ray smiled at her and sat up.

"I disagree," he said. "There was plenty stopping me from cooking those steaks. One, I'm not a very good cook and would have ruined them. Two, I had no desire to move when there was a gorgeous woman in my arms. Three..." he stopped as he thought. "I've run out of reasons," he admitted. "But, my point still stands," he nodded.

Ronnie snorted and looked under the covers.

"Not yet, but we can work on that later," she gave him a wicked grin and swung her legs over the side of the bed to stand up. She grabbed her dressing gown from the floor and pulled it on before standing up, carefully testing her ankle. She grabbed her crutches and stuck her tongue out at him before heading into the kitchen.

She got the dish with the marinating steaks in it and put it next to the stove and put the bowl of salad on the counter. She maneuvered herself over to the stove and carefully put the steaks in the oven to broil.

Ray watched her go with a grin as he settled back down into the cushions. It felt good to be home. He closed his eyes and opened them immediately. That memory was definitely not welcome. He shouldn't be thinking about what he did last night. He had Ronnie back. He needed to concentrate on her. Not Rowan. Though she had surprised him with how flexible she had been, he mused silently to himself as he let his mind drift. That had been a shock, he wondered idly what would've happened if Ronnie hadn't let him home today and he had stayed another night with Rowan, alone, in her flat. He shook his head viciously and got out of bed. He was not going to dwell on Rowan and what might, or might not, have happened. He grabbed his pyjama bottoms and shoved his legs into them before hitching them up and going to see what Ronnie was doing.

Ronnie gave him a small smile as he came into the kitchen.

"See, you just have to stick them on the broiler for a bit," she opened the oven and showed him. "10 minutes, no more," she pulled the broiler pan out and moved the steaks onto the plates she'd put on the counter. She picked up the plates and held them out to him to carry to the table.

"Time to eat."

Ray plonked himself down into a chair. He started cutting the steak and looked at her.

"Now, I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure that it's called boiling not broiling, you doughnut," he said.

Ronnie snorted a laugh. "It's broiling, not boiling. Boiling is what you do with water on the stove, like you boil an egg."

She grinned at him and cut another bite of her steak before picking up a leaf of lettuce and throwing it at him. "You're a doughnut," she giggled.

Ray looked at the lettuce she had thrown in disgust. He picked it up with his thumb and forefinger and held it as though it was something particularly offensive

"And that's a viable reason to throw pieces of vegetation at me!" he stated as he dropped the lettuce onto the table. "And I've never heard of broiling," he retaliated. "Microwaving I can do, shove the thing in, make sure the stuffs off it, shut the door and turn the dially thing," he nodded. "But I'm fairly sure that broiling is just something that you've made up!"

Ronnie tilted her head and looked at the ceiling as she tapped her forefinger to her chin in consideration of his question.

"Yes," she finally said, "perfectly legitimate reason to throw lettuce at you," she grinned and lobbed a chunk of cucumber at him.

"And as far as broiling goes, you can ask anybody who cooks and they'll tell you I'm not making it up," she said to him smugly and folded her arms across her chest. "Go on, call anybody who can cook," she challenged him and waved her hand at him in a 'go on' gesture. "In fact, call Rowan, you know she can cook. She runs her own restaurant in fact," Ronnie grinned.

"So, go on then, what are you waiting for, make the call, and then you can apologize," she finished and looked at him, a self-satisfied smirk on her face as she folded her arms again.

Ray felt the slimy cucumber skim his cheek as it flew past him. He scowled. Now she was throwing objects that had the potential to bruise him, if he was a tomato. He cut off a piece of his steak and considered throwing it at her, but discarded the thought. Needless waste of meat.

He narrowed his eyes "No. I won't call anyone. Because, Ronnie, they will think that I've said boiling, you got that? Boy-al-ing! Not broiling or whatever claptrap you're spouting," he shot back. She was not going to make a fool out of him. No sir.

Ronnie looked at him, her eyes widened slightly as the smile dropped from her face.

"Okay," she said quietly and looked down at her plate, her appetite suddenly gone. She got up and grabbed her crutches.

"I'm going back to bed," she added, her tone still soft and headed for the bedroom. Surely he could see she'd only been joking, why had he gotten so defensive?

Ray watched her go with a sigh. Now he had messed up again. And he hadn't even been home 24 hours. New record. He finished off his steak and took both plates to the counter. He looked over the kitchen and decided the washing up could wait. Ronnie was more important.

He peered around the bedroom door and walked cautiously into the room. He sat on the bed next to the figure under the covers and reached out to place his hand on her shoulder.

"Ron? I didn't mean to snap at you," he apologised softly.

Ronnie sniffed, but didn't say anything and jerked her shoulder away from his hand. She burrowed further under the covers.

"Just leave me alone," she finally muttered.

Ray sat on the side of the bed for a moment. He had completely destroyed a perfect situation in less than a minute. Again. He just couldn't get it right. He stood quietly and walked out of the room, grabbing his dressing gown as he went. He looked over at the spare room and went inside. At least she hadn't kicked him out this time.

"Thanks for cooking dinner, Jane," Peter said as he finished eating.

"You're quite welcome," Jane told him.

Peter stood and gathered everyone's empty plates and took them to the kitchen and then poured Jane another glass of wine. Jane stopped him when the glass was half-full.

"I'm going to have to get home soon. Busy day tomorrow," Jane told him.

Peter nodded.

"I'll have a bit more," Whitney said and held out her glass. Peter grinned and poured a bit more in Whitney's glass then went into the kitchen to start on the washing up.

"So, let me show you the stuff about the school," Whitney said to Molly excitedly and opened her laptop.

Peter chuckled as he got the rest of the dishes and took them into the kitchen. He gestured at Fatboy help him with the dishes.

Molly moved seats so she was closer to Whitney and watched the screen of her laptop as Whitney explained everything.

Fatboy rose from the table with a grin at Jane and grabbed the remaining plates, then followed Peter into the kitchen.

"I'm really excited, but I'm really scared too," Whitney admitted.

"Well, that's only normal. You're stepping pretty far out of your, what do they call it..." Jane paused, "your comfort zone."

Whitney nodded and looked at Molly. "If my financial assistance comes through though, I'll be able to afford to move in here. I hate doing it to Ricky and Bianca, but I really need some place less mad to study," she grinned.

Molly studied the screen and grinned.

"You'll do fine Whit," she said enthusiastically. "You'll pass with flying colours. The stuff you put on your T-shirts is immense," she encouraged as she re-read the information on the screen.

"I'd offer my house if you need some where quiet but with Sam around now I can't guarantee it," she smiled. "Besides if you're here then I'll see you even more, one house to visit instead of two."

Molly shuddered and shook her head.

"No, thank you!" she answered with a grin. "I'd rather maintain the idea that he's perfect," she giggled. "I'm not sure I want that ideality tarnished with the truth."

Whitney and Jane burst out laughing at Molly's comment.

Jane topped off her glass of wine and then after a moment's deliberation, poured half a glass for Molly and pushed it over to her.

"It's only half a glass, I'm sure your mum won't mind," Jane explained.

Molly grinned at Jane and took a small sip of the wine.

"Thank you," she smiled then stood up and wandered into the kitchen. She reached past Peter into the cupboard and pulled down the lemonade. She smiled at the two boys before going back into the front room and topping up her glass with the fizzy liquid.

/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Peter looked nervously at Fatboy at the sound of laughter from the next room.

"What do you think they're talking about. I don't like the sound of that laughter," he remarked.

Fatboy shrugged. "Not a clue, Bruv," he said disinterestedly. He wasn't really bothered what was going on. Besides, it was Pete's stepmum and girlfriend. It wasn't going to be likely that it was about him.

"Thanks, Fats, you're a pal," Peter said in a dry tone then smiled at Molly as she walked in.

"What's so funny out there?" he began to ask, but she was gone. He sighed. The last thing he wanted was Jane telling stories about him. Parents always did that. Told your friends...but even worse...your girlfriends about all the humiliating things you'd done. He hoped Jane hadn't got out the photo albums. He applied himself with renewed vigor to the dishes.

Whitney finished showing Molly about the school and sighed.

"I can't wait," she said, her tone excited. "I should find out soon on the assistance and then I can start," she grinned. She looked at Peter as he and Fatboy came back in.

"I'll talk to B about moving in here. I should know in about a week."

Peter nodded.

"That's fine. And if Dad hassles me about rent I'll just remind him I'm having to take care of everything for him. Whatever you can afford will be fine with me," he told her. "I'll sick Jane on him if he gives me any grief."

Jane laughed and shook her head.

"I should get going now, it's getting late and I have to open the cafe early."

She got up and dropped the empty wine bottle in the bin and pulled on her coat. She gave them all a warm smile and headed home.

Molly called her goodbyes after Jane and took another small sip out of her glass as she grinned at Whitney.

"I need to go soon, too," she sighed. Back home to a house with a newborn inside. She was curious to see how Gene would cope with a baby.

"Yeah, me too," said Whitney. She turned to Fatboy.

"I'll text you if I have to go over to the school tomorrow, yeah? So keep yourself free to watch the stall."

She gave Peter a quick hug and then gave Molly one, too.

"Laters," she called and hurried off home.

Fatboy nodded and gave her a cheeky salute as she left.

Molly got out her phone and reeled off a text to her mum then sat back into her seat, twirling her wine glass absently. She looked at Peter.

"The school is shut until after New Year. We go back on the 6th. Why is Whit worrying about it now?" she sighed.

"Well, it doesn't give much time for her financial assistance to be sorted. Maybe she doesn't have enough money to pay up front in order to start when she's supposed to," Peter shrugged. "I got the impression she didn't think she'd get accepted to start in January, but that she'd have to wait. I don't know."

He leaned back on the couch and put an arm around her shoulders.

/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Alex rocked her crying baby in an attempt to get him to sleep. She knew that was why he was crying but he refused to drop off. She dug in her pocket as the phone went off and she looked around for Gene.

"Do you want to pick up Molly or get your son to sleep?" she asked him.

Gene jumped up from the couch and moved quickly to get his coat.

"I'll be back," he called back at her as he went through the door. There was no way he was staying and trying to calm a screaming baby. He lit up as he slid behind the wheel and grinned. At least he was keeping the baby out of the Quattro.

He sped off to the Beale's house to get Molly.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\

Molly sighed. "She probably knows what she's doing. She's excited at any rate which is a good thing," she shrugged and leant her head on his shoulder. She looked up at the screech of tyres and sighed as she stood up.

"I'll see you later," she said then leant down and kissed him. "Bye, Fats," she waved as she grabbed her coat and headed outside.

Molly shut the door of the Quattro behind her as she climbed into the font and smiled at Gene "How's Sam and Mum?" she asked.

"He's screaming his head off, she's trying to get him to sleep," Gene answered shortly as he drove them home. He sat in the car for a few moments after Molly got out, hoping the screaming was done. He heaved a breath and then got out of the car and followed her inside.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\

Alex chuckled as he sped outside and continued to soothe Sam. If she could get him to sleep before Gene and Molly came back then she would be happy. She was hoping he would sleep through the night too. She smiled as his cries grew weaker and made her way back to his room as he began to calm down. Once he was tucked up in his bed and his night light was on she set the baby monitor and took the spare handset out of his room.

Alex collapsed onto the sofa and posed the handset on the table as she picked up her glass of wine. She took a tiny sip and smiled. Red wine she had missed.

Alex looked up as Molly came back in and pressed her forefinger to her lips. Molly nodded and left the door open a fraction.

"He's asleep?" she whispered and Alex nodded and pulled Molly down onto the sofa with her and into a hug. "How was your evening?"

"Fine. Whitney is excited about her new course and she's gonna move in with Peter and Fats," she smiled.

Alex nodded and kissed her daughter's forehead. "Bed, Molls. Sam won't sleep through the night sweetheart, but try to sleep through it okay?"

Molly nodded and hugged her mum before standing and smiling at Gene as he came in.

Alex made a small shushing gesture at Gene as she spotted him. "He's asleep," she told him.

Gene had assumed the baby was asleep since the flat was so quiet but he kept his expression bland when Alex shushed him. He walked to the bedroom and changed his clothes and dropped onto the bed.

He yawned hugely and closed his eyes, unable to wait for Alex.

Alex watched him go then grabbed the handset and followed him into the bedroom; she placed it on her bedside table, and got into her pyjamas. She crawled into bed beside him and wondered again how was

going to cope with a baby around all the time.


	9. Chapter 9

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 9**

The beeping of her phone alarm woke Rowan and she blinked for a few minutes as she looked around. She almost forgot she'd stayed at Alyssa's. She rubbed at her arms, trying to wipe away the sensation of arms around her before rubbing at her face to wake herself up. She didn't want to think who she might have been dreaming about. She pulled her clothes on over her pajamas and bundled on her coat.

She slung her handbag across her chest and quietly crept from the house. She wound her scarf tighter as she headed across the Square to go back home. She tried to move quickly to stay warm but wasn't very awake yet, not awake enough to run. She settled for a quick walk and lit up a cigarette and smoked as she went.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\\\

Shaz groaned as her alarm went off and pulled herself out of Rhys' arms as she reached out blindly to turn it off. She rubbed her hands over her eyes and swung her legs off the bed and stood up shakily. She grabbed her dressing gown and wrapped it tightly around herself as she walked into the kitchen. She smiled at the cold pans of sauce and pasta on the hob and switched it back on. Pasta for breakfast. She grinned and got herself a glass of orange juice before switching on the radio and waiting for the food to cook.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\\\

Rowan finally reached home and hurriedly let herself in. She went into the restaurant kitchen and started coffee brewing before going upstairs to shower and get dressed. She braided back her hair, vowing once again to get it cut to just above her shoulders again. She wasn't used to it being so long, but Chris seemed to like it so she'd kept putting off having it cut.

She sighed and turned the CD player on and got started on her morning baking.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\\\

Ffion dragged herself out of bed and yawned. Why had she done what Janine told her to do, she wondered and shook her head at herself. She pulled her dressing gown on and peered out to see if the bathroom was free. The door was open. She grabbed her things and hurried in to get her shower. She got dressed and brushed out her hair as she walked into the kitchen.

"What are in the world are you doing?" she asked Shaz curiously. "Are you planning in advance for dinner tonight?" she joked as she flipped on the kettle to make some tea.

Shaz chuckled and shook her head "No, this is last nights dinner that we didn't get round to eating" she smiled "We got distracted" she grinned and pointed to the heated pasta and sauce on the hob "Pasta and sauce or toast?" she asked as she fixed herself a bowl.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\\\

Rhys sighed in relief as Ffion finally got out of the bathroom and went in to grab his shower. He really would need to be quicker; she could be a hot water hog if you didn't watch.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\\\

Ffion grimaced and took a sip of her tea.

"I eat breakfast at work," she told Shaz. "I can't imagine that pasta is any good after sitting in water all night," she opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue in a distasteful gesture and shook her head.

Rhys came into the kitchen and checked the kettle before making himself a cup of tea.

"Don't forget I'm working for Chris tonight. I'll clean the flat and then get some sleep later," he told Shaz.

Ffion drained her tea and stuck her mug in the sink.

"Then I'll leave that for you to wash up," Ffion told him with a grin. "I'm off to work."

She bundled up and ran out of the flat.

Rhys shook his head then looked at what Shaz was doing.

"You're not really going to eat that are you?" he asked her, his eyes wide and took a sip of tea.

Shaz waved at Ffion as she left and then looked back up at Rhys

"I don't see why not," she shrugged and ate a forkful "It's still good" she grinned once she had swallowed.

Rhys looked at her and grinned as he shook his head. He gulped down his tea and toast then reached under the sink to get the plastic carrier he kept his cleaning supplies in. He placed it on the kitchen table and then pulled out the dusting spray and dust cloth and got to work.

Shaz finished her bowl of pasta and left the empty bowl and fork in the sink for him to clean. She smiled at him and went to get her shower before she went to work

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\\\

Jack woke up and rolled over with a sigh. Days seemed to be going by so fast, but he knew he would be ready to go back to school when it was time. He looked at Alyssa and grinned as he began to stroke her upper arm with his forefinger.

"What should we do today?" he bent over and whispered.

Alyssa's eyes fluttered open and she looked up into his face drowsily. "Hmmmmmmmm?"

She shifted her position and blinked a couple of times as she fought to wake up. She looked back up at him and chewed her lip as she thought, then grinned.

"I've got work to do!" she beamed at him and rolled to the side of the bed and reached underneath. She rolled back into his arms, clutching her laptop and powered it up. "Leaflets to be made, people to call," she smiled, then frowned, "stock to be checked..." she said slowly and thought carefully, the information would be saved in the laptop.

She pushed the computer to the side and smiled at him before kissing him happily. "What are you going to do?"

Jack shrugged.

"No idea. Do you need any help? Heavy things to move around the salon?" he asked curiously.

Alyssa thought for a moment then nodded. "I've still got part of a delivery in the store room that you could unpack, and then once I've made the leaflets you could go around and hand them out to randomers on the street, local businesses, you know the sort of thing," she grinned. "Then, of course, we can pop by Rowan's at lunchtime and leave some in her fine establishment and eat there in return," she smiled. "And, while you're doing all that, I shall be making calls, checking the stock and generally doing what I am paid to do," she said as she pulled her laptop back towards her and opened publishing software. She sighed. "It's too early to call Kim and Maddie yet, they won't be awake."

"Then I place myself at your disposal," he said to her. It was better than her remembering that he'd briefly mentioned the possibility of setting up planting boxes for flowers in the back garden. He was not in the mood to do that. "I'll go make us some coffee," he jumped out of bed and stumped downstairs to put the kettle on.

He dropped bread into the toaster and began humming as he rummaged in the fridge for butter and jam.

Alyssa looked back down at her laptop and got to work on the leaflets. She intended to finish the design and print them off at the Salon, then send Jack round to give them out while she got everything in order.

She sighed as she got the basics done and then shut the laptop and went to get a shower. She needed to call Kim and Maddie soon.

Jack brought the tea and toast up and sat down on the bed. He turned the laptop towards him and looked at what she was doing as he munched his toast. He reached over and grabbed his phone and called a printer he was friendly with and described the flyer design and got a quote. He jotted down the email address so Alyssa could email the design over when she got out of the shower. He grinned. He was helping already.

He rinsed his final mouthful of toast down with a gulp of tea and went to the wardrobe to grab jeans and a jumper. Nice, but not too dressy if he was going to be doing heavy lifting, but nice enough he would look okay while handing out her flyers.

Alyssa wrapped her hair up in a towel and went back into the bedroom to dress. She picked out a pair of jeans, a top and a cardigan. She wasn't 'officially' working so didn't need to dress smart. She undid the towel and let her damp hair fall as she grabbed a piece of toast and held it between her teeth as she pulled the laptop back towards her. She took the toast out of her mouth with one hand and studied the paper with the email address on. She picked it up and looked at him.

"What's this?" she questioned curiously as she sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed.

"Email that," he pointed at her screen, "there," he pointed at the email address. "It will cost you this much for 100 flyers," he said and pointed at the number under the email address. He grinned at her.

"I'm helping already," he told her and got up. He carried his clothes into the bathroom and got into the shower. He showered and dressed quickly and came out to check what she was doing as he rubbed at his hair with a towel.

"So, what do you reckon?"

Alyssa smiled and saved the email address in her work contacts. She made some changes to the design and did a quick calculation to see how many they could afford. She grinned as she wrote down the figure and looked up as he came in. She sighed happily at the sight of him. His hair was damp.

She knelt up and smiled at him as he came close enough for her to wrap her arms around his middle. She gazed up at him and kissed him. "I reckon that you still look gorgeous with wet hair," she grinned. "And thank you for the printer's email and quote, I was going to use the salon printer. They can have them done by today right?"

She let go of him and saved the design and sent it off to the printers with an email about how many she wanted and where to deliver them to. She shut down her computer and grabbed her bag and coat then packed her laptop into its case and grinned at him as she laced up her pumps.

"So, you all ready to unpack that delivery?" she grinned.

"Yes, they'll call me when they're done and I'll go get them," Jack replied when she let him up for air.

He finished putting on his shoes and looked at her.

"Yes, all set to be your drudge today," he sighed over-dramatically before standing up and heading downstairs.

Alyssa chuckled and grabbed her coat and slipped it on as she followed him downstairs, she wrote a quick note for Gerald telling him where they were and then made sure she had everything she needed, as an afterthought she dug in the draw and pulled out her folders and slipped them into her bag, if she needed them then she had them and didn't have to come back to get them.

She beamed at him as she spotted him by the front door and slipped her hand into his as she opened the door and lead him outside, shutting the door behind her.

Jack walked with Alyssa to the salon and waited patiently as she unlocked the door. He followed her in and unwound his scarf as he waited for her to show him where these boxes were that she wanted him to shift.

"So, when do you think you'll call Kim and Maddie?" he asked her curiously. He wanted to be outside handing out flyers when they were here. Their chatter made his head hurt.

Alyssa shrugged as she plugged her laptop into the mains and set it up on the desk.

"Probably once I've called Roxy to make sure we can go ahead with this, there's really no point unless she says yes, luckily if she says no then we don't waste the flyers, I didn't put the date on them, they just say the day before News Years Eve at 9am," she grinned. "We can use them next year."

She looked up at him and then led him to the store room and pointed out the boxes that she needed him to bring out, she could sort out most of the contents but lifting the boxes was pretty much impossible.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\\\

Rowan was jolted out of her baking rhythm by the buzzer. She peered out and saw Syed and Christian at the door and glanced at the clock. Time had flown! She went over and let them in and turned the sign to "open".

She ran to turn the music down in the kitchen, Christian laughing at her choice of music and Syed rolling his eyes at Christian's comments.

"You hush about my taste in music or you get none of this," she warned as she held up the containers filled with Jane's baked goods.

"My, you are evil today," Christian remarked with a grin and handed Rowan the money.

She handed him Jane's receipt.

"Me? Never," she sniffed and flounced back to pull the last of the buttermilk biscuits from the oven.

Christian chuckled and kissed Syed goodbye.

"So, suppose I should get started on the fruit plates?"

"Oh, yes," Rowan said. "And if you could also fill the containers of vegetables for the omelets, I'd appreciate it."

Syed nodded and got to work while Rowan chopped meat and kept an ear open for the bell over the door.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\\\

Ffion chirped good morning and got her usual bacon sandwich from Rowan before sitting down to fill the sugar caddies and the salt and pepper shakers. She nodded in time to the music drifting from the kitchen and grinned. Syed had clearly won the toss today. She got up and helped the few people who drifted in for a quick cuppa and breakfast to go this early in the morning.

She glanced at the clock. Soon, the sitters would be here. Ffion made sure the newspapers were on the counter next to the register so people could read them while they ate and then began stocking the display baskets under the counter with muffins and biscuits and whatever other things Rowan had chosen to bake.

Ffion nearly gave in when she saw the cinnamon rolls that Rowan had chosen to do. She resisted and filled the case, then walked around and cleaned the glass so smears and fingerprints didn't obscure the tempting treats.

Rowan came out and got herself another cup of coffee.

"Those rowdy suits from the next road over should be here soon," Ffion commented. Rowan nodded. Like clockwork, six of them, sometimes more, but rarely less. Rowan didn't mind. They were rowdy, but not foul and rude and rarely requested special orders unlike that woman from the florist. Sometimes the complications of her order made Rowan want to scream, she was so picky! "At least they tip you well," Rowan reminded her with a smile.

Ffion nodded. "Unlike Flower Shop Lady," Ffion groaned. "I wouldn't mind so much, but I won't lie to you, she speaks to me like I've not got a brain in my head. I hate that. 'Now dearie,'" Ffion mimicked the older woman's sour, condescending tone. Rowan chuckled and shook her head.

"Don't ever do that where any customer can hear you," Rowan warned, but her expression was still amused, "too many people around here would know who you mean."

Ffion snorted a laugh and nodded. "I'm sure."

Rowan went back and started getting the ingredients to hand for the 'suits' as Ffion called them. They tended to order the same thing all the time.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\\\

Ronnie stared at the ceiling and tried to figure out why Ray had gotten so upset when she was joking last night. He'd looked only mildly irritated that she'd thrown food at him, but why snap like that? And of course, she'd promptly burst into tears. At least she hadn't screamed and tossed him out again. She supposed she should at least be thankful for that.

She climbed out of bed and pulled on her dressing gown and went to make herself a cup of tea.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\\\

Davina hurriedly ate her breakfast and then went in search of the place the woman at the B&B had told her might be able to fix her car. She managed to find it with no trouble. She peered inside at the tallish, heavy set balding man and the boyishly cute dark haired man that were discussing an engine.

She cleared her throat and they both stopped and looked at her.

"Hi, um, my car broke down over by the B&B, any chance of some help? It happened last night, just," she glanced skyward and then shrugged, "died."

"Yeah, sure, no problem," Ricky said. "Lead the way. If we can't get it started to drive over here, we should be able to push it," Ricky told her and gestured Minty to follow him."

"Thanks," Davina said with a grateful smile and led them to her car and stood on the pavement with her arms folded as she watched them check it over.

"We're going to have to push it to the garage," Ricky finally told her as he wiped his hands on an already greasy rag and shoved it back in his coveralls pocket. "Better give me a phone number and I'll let you know when it's ready."

"Any idea how long that could be?"

"Sorry, miss….." Ricky trailed off.

"Davina, call me Davina," she replied and gestured him to continue.

"It could take most of the day," he admitted.

Davina raised her arms and shook her head and huffed out a breath.

"How much is it going to cost?" she asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"I'll know more when I can see what we might have to replace. I hate to say it, but wherever you got this car, you paid more than it was worth."

Davina made a face. Of course it was. "So, I'm stuck for today then."

"Today at least. I'll let you know if it's worth fixing as soon as I can. You have some luck though, there is a car lot just over there," Ricky pointed, then gave her a shamefaced look and shrugged. "You know, just in case."

Davina looked in the direction he pointed and nodded. Just in case, indeed.

She pulled a card out of her purse and handed it to him. "My mobile number is on there and I'm staying at the B&B."

She lifted her arms and then dropped them so her hands hit the tops of her legs in a defeated gesture.

"I suppose I'll wander around then. Thank you for your honesty," she told him sincerely.

"Yeah, well, if my wife heard I didn't treat a woman fair she'd…." he trailed off, "I really don't want to think what she'd do to me."

Minty gave a low chuckle causing Ricky to glare at him. He gave her a tight smile and then he and Minty began to push the car to the garage. Davina ran her hands through her hair and began to wander across the Square.

Davina spied the café and decided another cup of tea after all that news wouldn't go amiss. She walked over and ordered it from the smiling woman behind the counter and stared at the muffins and cinnamon rolls before decisively turning her back.

She sat in the corner in the back near the window and sipped her tea as she looked over the newspaper. Buy a new car. Brilliant, just brilliant. She frowned at the paper and stared at the words without really seeing them as she sipped her tea.

/\\/\/\\\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\

Ray lay silently in the spare bed; he could hear Ronnie clattering around in the kitchen and sighed. He hadn't meant to snap at her, he wasn't entirely sure why he had. He was feeling guilty about Rowan, and nervous that Ronnie might find out, her reaction to a small amount of doubt had been bad enough. He didn't want to think about how she would react if she found out he had slept with someone else. He tossed onto his side and stared at the wall. She wouldn't want to see him.

/\\/\/\\\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\

Ronnie noticed the door to the spare room was closed, he must still be here. She fixed a cup of tea for him and used just one crutch to go to the door. Her ankle was feeling slightly better she noticed and was relieved. She hated the crutches, although they had saved her from Phil yesterday. She opened the door and went inside and sat down next to him.

"I brought you some tea, you should get up soon, you'll be late to work," she said softly, making sure her voice didn't sound angry or tearful. "I should have let you apologize, but my emotions are going to run away from me, sometimes. I can't help that," she admitted making sure she didn't sound too meek.

"I'll do my best not to melt down everyday, but I don't imagine it's going to be easy."

Ray sat up and took the mug from her. He held it while he listened to her and then put the mug on the table closest to him and pulled her into a tender hug.

"It's fine Ron. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'm sorry," he kissed the top of her head and rested his cheek against her head as he absorbed the feel of her. "I know you're going to be temperamental now. God knows Alex was at work. Talk about walking on eggshells," he smiled as he drew away from her. "But I'll cope. Just, don't push me away, please" he asked then kissed her softly.

"I'll try, but it won't be easy. I think avoidance is going to be a lot easier on you," she told him seriously. "I'm either going to cry or shriek at the drop of a hat, comforting and reason isn't going to work. You'll have to let me just cool off."

He smiled at her and reached over for his mug and took a large gulp, then winced. "That was hot!" he grumbled as he rubbed his throat and got off the bed and helped her to stand.

She chuckled at his grumbling about the tea. "Did you think I would bring you cold tea? I wouldn't be _that _mean," she told him and snorted. "Now, putting salt in your tea, however…" she trailed off and then grinned before hurrying out of the room.

Ray chuckled as he watched her run off then frowned. Surely, she hadn't! He took a small careful sip and sighed in relief. She hadn't. Good. He blew his tea and then downed the rest of it and stood up to take the mug back through to the kitchen.

He smiled as he passed her the empty mug and then went to get a shower. He had work soon and wasn't looking forward to seeing the Guv. Not now he had a baby under his roof.

Ronnie took the mug and watched Ray as he walked away. She gnawed her lip and idly wished there was more time before Ray had to be at work. She tapped her fingernails on the counter and leaned against the counter and bounced her good foot restlessly.

She opened the fridge and frowned at the empty shelves before roughly closing the fridge door. She stalked to the bathroom and dropped her dressing gown to the floor. She climbed quietly into the shower and watched him for a moment before running her hands down his broad back.

"You were taking so long, I though you might need some help," she said. She furrowed her brow as she noticed some small bruises on his back. She traced her finger over them and put her hands on his shoulders to stop him turning around.

"What happened?" she wanted to know, her tone laced with concern. "How did you get these bruises on your back?" She traced her finger over the four slightly circular marks and tilted her head to look him over his shoulder, her expression worried.

Ray frowned and turned to look at her. "I didn't know I had any bruises on my back," he told her a little puzzled and stood still under the shower was as he thought. A sudden thought occurred to him, then a memory: small bruises on his back. He hastily tried to think of another occasion where he could've got bruises.

"I must have been when I was arresting Phil," he sighed. "I hadn't noticed," he shrugged again and smiled at her as his hand rose to cup her cheek.

Ronnie made a face of commiseration at his reason.

"Don't worry about me. I'm a big boy. A few little bruises aren't anything to worry about," he assured her.

She smiled at his comment and looked him up and down and grazed her fingernails over his shoulders and chest. "Aren't you just?" she purred and pounced.

Ronnie quickly helped Ray finish washing himself, since she'd interrupted him it seemed only fair, not that she heard him complaining. She watched him get out of the shower and sighed and began to wash her hair.

Ray hurried from the shower and towel dried his hair as he went. He was late. Very late. But he seemed to have got away with his excuse. He knew that the most likely time that he had got the bruises was the night he spent with Rowan. He tried to glimpse them in the mirror, but couldn't quite see. He sighed and dressed as quickly as he could then poked his head into the bathroom and then around into the shower and gave Ronnie a quick kiss before grabbing his coat and heading off to work.

Ronnie luxuriated in the shower and finally emerged when the water had gone cold. She wrapped her hair in a towel and drew a smiley face on the steamed-up mirror before grabbing the other towel to dry off. She looked at the dots she drawn for eyes, then down at her fingers. She pressed her fingers against the steamed up glass and looked at the marks. She frowned. Why had Ray lied? She filed it away and went to make herself another cup of tea, then changed her mind. She decided to treat herself out for breakfast. She got dressed and ready then wrapped herself up warmly and set off briskly across the Square. She thought about the café, no, she'd go to Rowan's then she could go by the station on the way home, drop something nice off for Ray. She smiled and picked up her pace.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Alex groaned as the baby monitor amplified Sam's bawling for the 5th time. She hauled herself up once more and plodded back through to the bedroom to pacify her son. She felt like shit. Backwards and forwards all night.

Molly pulled the pillow tighter over her head again. Sam had hardly stopped since he had first woken up and demanded attention at 11pm. It seemed every few hours he wanted something. He had his father's lungs for sure. She listened as someone got up and shut the nursery door behind them, muffling the sound only slightly. Molly sighed and plugged her headphones in to drown out her brother's cries and try to grab another hour's sleep.

Gene sat up after Alex left the room. He rubbed his eyes and sighed.

This was even worse than he'd expected. He stumbled to the bathroom and took a shower. He was going to be useless at work if this is what every night was going to be like. Hangovers, he knew how to cope with. Up on all night on a case, he knew how to cope with. He wasn't sure he could do this.

He got dressed and staggered to the kitchen to make himself some very strong tea.

Alex sighed as Sam finally settled down and went back to sleep. She rubbed her eyes as she came out of his room and smiled weakly at Gene as she made her way back to bed. She was too tired to even speak. Alex collapsed onto the bed crookedly and dragged the covers over the top of her as best she could, then pulled Gene's pillow under her head and held it there so she could breathe him in as she slept.

Gene walked past the bed and picked up his boots.

"Maybe you should have the baby with you in bed for a couple of weeks," Gene told her. "I don't mind sleeping on the couch."

He kissed her forehead and went into the kitchen. He made another cup of tea and sat at the table with his head in his hands. Sleeping on the couch was better than no sleep at all, he reasoned.

Alex muttered something to herself as she pulled his pillow closer and drifted off.

Gene sleepily drank his tea then rinsed the mug and headed off to the station. He didn't want to be around when the baby kicked off again.

Molly heard the front door slam and pulled the pillow off her head and her earbuds out, it seemed to be quiet. She sighed and rolled onto her back as she fully appreciated the absence of screaming. Gene had gone to work; no doubt Alex was in bed trying to catch up on sleep. Molly yawned and rolled onto her side as she curled into a ball and shut her eyes once more.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Jane watched the blond woman flip through the newspaper. She looked annoyed, Jane thought. She grabbed the teapot and walked over.

"Refill?" she offered.

Davina looked up, waited a moment and then nodded.

"Can I help you with anything?"

Davina shook her head. "No, I've just found out it might be cheaper to buy a new car than get the hunk of junk that is currently broke down at the garage fixed," she complained.

Jane nodded. "I see. Well, Max who owns the car lot is pretty decent, if you have to buy a new one," Jane told her.

"Thanks," Davina replied. "I'll keep that in mind."

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Shaz cradled her coffee in her hands, she needed to stop walking to work, it was freezing outside and she was sure that her cheeks were blue with the cold. She pressed the mug to her cheek and flinched when the heated china burnt her. Not a good idea then! She sighed and went back into the office, she placed her mug down and reached over to turn the thermostat up, she kept her coat on as she turned on the PC and sat back as she tried to warm up.

Chris chuckled at Shaz and shook his head. He yawned and leaned back in his chair. Rhys was going to work for him tonight. He was looking forward to it now that he and Rowan had made up. He still couldn't believe it had ended up being his fault. He had never meant to hurt her, thinking she was less a woman. He was such a fool sometimes.

He looked at the clock and got up to walk around. It looked like Ray was going to be late. Chris sighed.

Gene stalked into the station, went to his office and shut the door. He closed the blinds, leaned back in his chair, propped his feet on the desk and promptly went to sleep.

Shaz looked up as Gene marched straight past and into his office. He looked exhausted. No doubt the baby was keeping both him and Alex awake. She twirled a pen absently in one hand and used the other to lift her mug so she could take a massive gulp.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Davina finished her second cup of tea and went back outside to wander. She walked past the car lot and glanced over the cars but didn't slow; she didn't want to consider she might have to buy something new yet. At least some of the cars seemed to be in her price range, she noticed. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked it once again. Still nothing from the mechanic. It clearly hadn't been long enough. She shoved her phone back in her pocket and then noticed the salon. Now there was a way to kill time. She allowed herself a small smile and hurried over.

She reached for the door and found it unlocked and poked her head in. She noticed a lovely, red-haired woman behind the counter and smiled and gave a small wave to attract the woman's attention.

"Excuse me, um, are you open yet?" Davina asked uncertainly.

Jack started to bring another box from the storeroom when he heard the door to the salon open. He froze when he heard the voice of a woman asking Alyssa if the salon was open. He felt a cold chill down his spine and put the box down. He edged towards the storeroom door and peered around then jumped back. Davina! What the bloody hell was she doing in Walford? He backed further into the storeroom and tried to catch his breath as he willed Alyssa to send Davina away.

Alyssa looked up from the booking form she was working on, on her laptop as she heard the door open, she had forgotten to lock the door. She smiled apologetically at the blond woman and shook her head.

"Sorry," she sighed. "We don't open again until New Year's Eve," she added. "We're doing a special pamper day though on the 31st if you're interested?" she smiled.

Davina hid her disappointment behind a professional smile.

"No, I'm stuck here today because my car broke down. Thank you, though," Davina replied and closed the door. Well, so much for that idea. She walked away and decided to wander the market stalls.

Jack heaved a sigh of relief and picked up the box again and carried it out to Alyssa. He placed it next to her and strolled casually over to the window, shoved his hands in his pockets and looked out. He could just see Davina's back as she walked away. Car broke down. With any luck, she'd only be here today. That would make her easier to avoid, except that Alyssa wanted him to hand out these flyers.

Alyssa watched the woman go with a small sigh. Roxy should really have the Salon open after Christmas. They were losing so much custom. She smiled briefly at Jack as she went to lock the door and made sure the closed sign was up. She wandered back to the desk and got her phone. She speedily dialled Roxy's number.

Roxy put down the delivery of crisps as her phone went. She quickly signed the sheet for the delivery guy and answered her phone. "Hello?" she said as she held her phone in placed with her shoulder and lifted the first box.

"Roxy, it's Alyssa. I was thinking, do you mind if I open the Salon on New Year's Eve? I mean, loads of people are going to want their nails done and facials before they party. It seems such a waste to turn away all of those potential customers."

Roxy deposited the box on the bar and held her phone in her hand again. "I see your point, but I really don't have time to organise anything."

"That's why you've got me," Alyssa replied. "I can organise everything, start promoting it now and get the interest up. We can make a killing. I've already done the figures and I've got a design for flyers that we can hand out."

Roxy nodded and chewed her lip. Clearly Alyssa had given this some thought, she was glad that Ronnie had convinced her to hire Alyssa, she hadn't really had to worry about the Salon since she had come along. "What about staff?"

"I'm going to give Kim and Maddie a ring. Gayna's not back until after new year so we can't offer everything, but we can offer enough treatments to drum up some interest."

"Fine, Alyssa. Do what you want. Just please make a profit."

"I will Roxy, like I said, I've got the figures pretty much worked out and there will be a small reduction in price if you bring a leaflet with you. With that we should definitely make a profit."

"Sounds good," Roxy agreed. "I'll leave you to it then."

"Cheers, Roxy," Alyssa hung up with a grin. "She's given me the go ahead," she beamed at Jack. She scrolled down to Kim's number. Best to tell her first.

Jack smiled back at her and went to get another box. He wondered if he should tell Alyssa about Davina. He shook his head. If he could avoid her, it wouldn't be a problem, he decided. But if he ended up face to face with her…. his thought trailed off. He hoped Alyssa would be with him if that happened.

Alyssa smiled as she put the phone down on Maddie. Both her and Kim were up for doing the pamper day. Good. She looked at the boxes that Jack had got out for her and smiled at him.

"Both Maddie and Kim are raring to go," she grinned. "I'll text them through the details. Kim's coming along to help hand out leaflets and Maddie is going to help me with the stock and getting this place back in order," she informed him as she printed off the booking form.

She grinned at him and nodded as she added the new form to the folder and shut it carefully.

"Kim's coming along around 2:30 because she's shopping at the moment. Maddie has a key anyway. So, if we start on this unpacking now then we can get lunch at Rowan's, pick up the leaflets and you and Kim can hand them round while Maddie and I sort everything here," she beamed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you for helping me today," she smiled then let go and dropped to the floor to check the contents of the boxes.

"Good," he said as he put the final box on the floor with a huff of air. He looked at his watch. "Then we can go to lunch soon. I'm starving," he commented and pretended to dust off his hands.

She unpacked the items for the different work stations and set Jack refilling shampoo bottles while she sort out everything for the area where all the nail varnish was kept.

"You're welcome," Jack grinned. He was glad she was busy, she would likely find things he didn't want to do if she got bored. He hurriedly did as directed so they could go eat.

Alyssa looked up at the clock and sighed as she folded the cardboard box so it was flat. She picked herself off the floor and took the bobble out of her hair so it fell out of the pony tail she had used to keep it out of her face.

She carried the flat cardboard through and placed it with the others on top of one of the plush chairs. Alyssa rolled her shoulder in circles and flexed the muscles in her leg in an attempt to dispel the pins and needles.

She glanced at the time once more and smiled. Lunchtime.

"Jack! Do you want to get lunch now?" she called out.

Alyssa grinned at him as she waited for him to come outside and she locked the salon behind them.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Ffion greeted Ronnie cheerfully as she came into the restaurant and sat down. Ronnie greedily ordered a vegetable omelet, home fries and toast and then, after a moment's though, bacon.

Ffion smiled at her and nodded but raised her eyebrows as she turned away. She didn't think she'd ever seen Ronnie order so much food. She went back and handed the ticket to Rowan, who simply nodded. Ffion furrowed her brow. Clearly Rowan knew something and also seemed to have no intention of sharing. She went and got Ronnie tea and orange juice and then went to help some other people that came in.

Rowan brought Ronnie's food out. She suddenly realized she felt awkward. She'd slept with Ray. Ronnie would hate her if she found out. But at the same time, Ronnie had tossed him away, thrown him out, and Rowan had picked up the pieces. She wouldn't feel guilty about that. They'd needed each other. She smiled at Ronnie as she put down the plate of toast.

"How is everything?"

Ronnie hurriedly chewed her mouthful of omelet and swallowed.

"It's good, better if I can keep my temper under control," she let out a wry chuckle. "Thank you for taking care of Ray."

Rowan swallowed hard to keep from choking. "It was no trouble. I care about him a great deal, I would do anything for him," she replied. And she had, she recalled and tried not to blush as the memory nearly overcame her. She'd surrendered to him completely, had done everything he wanted. She hurriedly sat down and cleared her throat.

"And how's Phil?"

Ronnie snorted in disgust. "Likely no better for having spent a night in jail. None of us were willing to bail him out."

Rowan chuckled at Ronnie's expression then reached over and patted Ronnie's hand.

"Well, I better get back to work," she sighed.

Ronnie nodded and began to munch on a piece of bacon.

Rowan stood and walked back to the kitchen and suddenly felt awash with guilt, not because of the other night, but because, she suddenly realized, she wanted to do it again. She went to the stove and immersed herself in seasoning and cooking more home fries and tried desperately to keep her mind occupied so she didn't think about the feel of Ray's hands on her skin.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Davina bought a couple of CDs, but saw nothing else that struck her fancy. She looked at her phone again. Still no call! She strode back over to the garage. The day was passing quicker than she'd liked and she needed to find out how long she was going to be stuck here. This place was unbelievably boring.

"So?" she asked more sharply than she'd intended when she got back to the garage.

Ricky looked at her. "Sorry, we've been trying to make sure we knew fully what's wrong. I wouldn't want you to think I'm lying to you or not doing my best," Ricky said and gave her a boyish smile.

Davina relented. "I didn't mean to snap."

He held out a clipboard with a form on it, listing all that was wrong with her car and how much it would cost to get it fixed. She felt her jaw drop and hurriedly closed her mouth.

"Sorry, but it doesn't look like the car has been very well taken care of. Did you see a mechanic before you bought it?"

Davina shook her head in shame and sighed. "It never crossed my mind," she admitted.

"Well, maybe go and have a look at the car lot. But I can say that fixing this is going to take more than a day," he warned her.

Davina shook her head. "Fine. I'll be back then."

She turned and headed for the car lot.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Chris looked up as Ray came in.

"About time, mate," he joked. "Guv's asleep in the office so be quiet. I don't even think he knows you're late," Chris told him. "Rhys is working for me tonight so I can get some quality time with Ro," he told Ray in a low tone and grinned. "I've missed her and her belly dancing skills," he added and then coughed in embarrassment and blushed. "Sorry, she…well…" he broke off and shook his head, still blushing. "Never mind."

Ray grinned at Chris as the memory of Rowan once again flashed through his mind. He let himself sit and reminisce for a moment before looking back at Chris.

"I know exactly what you mean," he grinned and nodded.

Ray realised what he had said. He hadn't meant to talk out-loud. "I mean," he quickly recovered, "Ro taught Ronnie all that stuff, I understand what you mean about the belly dancing."

Chris chuckled and slapped Ray on the back, his mind already elsewhere. He waved and headed out.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Gerald finally made his way downstairs. He hadn't slept in like that in ages. It was exhausting. He grinned as he flicked the switch on the kettle and wondered where his daughter and son-in-law to be were. He went to get the milk and spotted the note on the fridge. He shrugged. At least Alyssa would be busy.

He leant against the counter and tapped his foot as he waited for the kettle. He frowned as he felt a piece of paper in his pocket and pulled it out. Unfamiliar handwriting faced him and he knew immediately that it belong to a girl. He studied the flowing, loopy script. A phone number. Ffion. He smiled as his mind drifted to his first night here. She had been a breath of fresh air. He folded the paper up with a grin.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Ronnie ate her way steadily through her breakfast and sighed in contentment when she finished. She patted her belly and waved Ffion over.

"Can I get a breakfast burrito to go," she asked and at the look on Ffion's face added, "for Ray," a little sharper than she'd intended, "and a couple of those cinnamon rolls and oh….six assorted muffins. Thanks."

Ffion nodded and went to put Ronnie's order together. Ronnie fished the money out of her bag and handed it over when Ffion brought her the check. She wound the bag around her wrist and headed off to the station. She grinned at Adam as he helped her with the door and went straight to Ray's desk. She grinned at him and put the bag down and began to take the containers out. She put the paper bag with the breakfast burrito in it in front of him and then put the box with the two cinnamon rolls back in the bag. She was desperate for something sweet.

Ray peered inside the bag and smiled at the burrito.

"I think I'm going to do some shopping before I go to the club later," she told him. She leaned down and put her lips to his ear. "I need some new bras," she breathed and then took one of his hands and placed it on her breast. "I'm getting bigger, can't you tell?" she asked her tone flirtatious.

He raised his eyebrow contemplatively as he caressed her with one hand. He frowned and took her other breast in his other hand as he compared them to their usual size.

"Now you mention it..." he murmured then raised his eyes to her face with a grin as one hand slid up her neck to cup her cheek, he leant forward and kissed her gently and his hand moved back down to her breast. "You have grown, Ronnie," he smiled.

Ronnie clenched her fists in his shirt and kissed him hard. She pulled herself away from him and looked at him, her eyes hot, her breath coming fast. She swallowed and forced herself to calm down. She knew pregnancy could often rev up your sex drive but this was too much.

"Now, why did you lie to me about the bruises on your back?" she asked him. She leaned down again and touched his face, then held up her hand and ran her thumb over the edge of the nail on her forefinger. "It's too easy to go from bruising to drawing blood," she said. She tapped her fingernail on his nose. "I've been keeping them shorter, but you have to tell me when I do that," she scolded.

Ray shrugged as he held her to him around her waist. "I didn't know until you pointed them out this morning, Ron," he admitted. He wondered why she was acting like this, not that he wasn't enjoying it. It was just a little bit disarming, and happening in the middle of his workplace, right outside his boss' office, not that Ronnie seemed bothered by that.

He looked down at whatever he was leaning on and moved the burrito out from underneath his arm. Breakfast burrito. He suddenly realised that she had been to Rowan's. Clearly she didn't suspect anything. He was in for a rough ride if she did find out. He knew that much. He would cross that bridge if they ever came to it though. For now he would put it out of his mind. He hugged her closer and grinned.

"So, apart from providing a very welcome distraction and shopping for new underwear, which I shall inspect later," he promised with a huge smile. "What do you intend to do with yourself today?"

Ronnie sighed and shrugged and sat down on Ray's lap. She looped an arm around his neck.

"Do some work at the club, get in some groceries, the cupboards are bare, you know," she leaned close to his ear again. "I'd really like to drag you off somewhere right now," she confessed. "I know pregnancy can rev up your sex drive, but I didn't expect it to be this strong," she breathed and kissed his neck and along his jaw.

She pulled back again. "I should, I should go," she stammered and blinked. She blew out a long breath to calm herself down and stood up. She closed her eyes, took another deep breath and opened them.

Ray stood too. He knew she was trying to stay in control and didn't want her to break the hold she seemed to have got. Rather than kissing her as he wanted to, he took her hand and pressed a kiss to it. He pulled on her hand to bring her to him and enclosed her in a gentle hug then kissed the top of her head. "We can take care of your sex drive once I get home. Because as much as I would love for you to drag me off somewhere, I don't really want to risk getting on the Guv's bad side," he sighed.

"And I'm lookin' forward to all this new underwear you're going to be getting," he grinned as he let her go

"All this," Ronnie said, making air quotes around the words and chuckling. "You make it sound like I'm buying out the shop. It won't be anything like that," she told him.

"I'm going, I'll see you later," she said and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. She grabbed up the bag with the cinnamon rolls in it and wrapped the handles around her wrist before heading out of Ray's office.

Ray chuckled as he watched her go. New underwear was always a plus in his book: 'inspecting' it just meant he got to see her out of her clothes, and as far as he was concerned there was nothing wrong with that.

He grabbed the bag with the burrito in and pulled it out to take a massive bite, he didn't regret skipping breakfast. Spending time in the shower with Ronnie was worth sacrificing food.

Ronnie went to the club and caught up her paperwork and went over her stock again. She left a note for Sarah to expect a delivery and then went home. She dropped onto the couch and ate her way through both cinnamon rolls as she lost herself in daytime television. Before she knew it, she was asleep.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Davina smiled widely as Max came out to help her once he noticed her looking over the cars. He looked her up and down appreciatively and smoothed his tie. He held out his hand to her.

"Max Branning, what can I do for you?"

"So, it seems it will cost me less to buy a new car than to get the one I have now and currently languishing in the garage, repaired. I hope that's true," she said.

"Well, how much are you looking to spend?"

She pointed at one reliable looking little car. "How about that one?"

Max pursed his lips and looked the car over. "It's not too bad, for the price," he finally said. "Why don't we take it for a test drive?"

Davina smiled. "Okay."

He smoothed his tie again and looked from Davina to the car and back. "And maybe after, I can buy you a drink to celebrate your new car?"

Davina laughed at his boldness and for some reason found herself reminded of Jack. He could be just as upfront. She brushed away the memory and focused on Max. "I think you've got yourself a deal, provided I buy the car of course," she flirted.

"Of course," he said and went to get the keys.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Ffion dropped gratefully across from Rowan and Syed and took a bite of her salad. She was glad there was always a calm before lunch rush started so they all had time to eat.

Rowan ate her lunch absently. Her mind was already on later and Chris. She tried to stop wanting time to hurry, because she knew that would make it feel like dragging. She had really appreciated it though when he'd offered to help her with lunch rush. She looked at her watch. They had just over an hour before things got busy.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Davina laughed at a joke Max made as they pulled up in front of the car lot. He jumped out and went around to open the door for her and offered his hand to help her out.

"So, how about that drink now?"

"Hmmm," she said and tapped her bottom lip with her finger. "Will you knock, say 100 off the price?"

He looked at her and barked a laugh. "I might be willing, but for that, it better be two drinks, and maybe dinner," he told her speculatively.

She held out her hand.

"Then maybe we have a deal, Mr. Branning."

He took her hand and kissed it before placing it on his arm.

"Shall we?" he said and led her to the pub.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Alyssa smiled at Rowan as she lead Jack into the restaurant and held the door open for him to get inside then let it swing shut after him. She noted Chris' face and her smile broadened at his expression, she chuckled and took her coat off and hung it up.

"Morning all," she called out.

Rowan looked at her watch at Alyssa's greeting.

"Only just," she retorted as she waited for Jack and Alyssa to sit down.

Jack hung up his coat and dropped into a chair across from Chris.

"Sorry we interrupted," Jack joked.

Chris choked on his tea but managed to keep from blushing. Rowan shook her head.

"I suppose you expect me to feed you?" she folded her arms across her chest and waited.

Jack nodded. "I'm starving, so I need steak and chips, quick as you can," he begged.

"Riiiiight," Rowan replied and then looked at Alyssa.

Alyssa looked up at Rowan and shrugged.

"Whatever your special is today," she said. "Oh, and after we've eaten we're going to pick up some leaflets. Soooooooo," she grinned. "I was wondering if you'd be willing to have them around for people to take one if they're interested in a 'New Years Eve Pamper Day,'" she smiled and widened her eyes pleadingly.

Rowan gasped and hurriedly slapped her hands over her face. "Not the eyes! NO!"

She turned around and uncovered her face. "Yes, if you bring in flyers you can leave them on the counter. And if you do eyes at me again the daily special for you will be cabbage soup, or maybe boiled hay."

She turned back around and settled her glare on Jack, who was chuckling before looking at Alyssa again. She fidgeted slightly and heaved a breath.

"In fact, I'll do one better. I want the first appointment that day." She grabbed the end of her braid and shook it. "I want a haircut."

She heard Chris make a sound of negation and looked at him. "Not all of it, but the split ends are horrific. And I'll take anything else you are doing that day. too."

She looked at Alyssa and raised her eyebrow.

"I'll have one too, not first thing obviously, but um, when I'm done here at say….."' she trailed off and looked at Rowan.

"I'm closing up at 2:00 that day," Rowan supplied.

Ffion returned her gaze to Alyssa. "So, 3:00 would be good. Just my hair though. I'm sure I'll be going to some lush party," she grinned and hurried back over to serve some new customers.

"So, not only will I have your flyers but you've got two bookings already. Not a bad start I'd say," she flashed Alyssa a cheeky grin and then glanced at Syed who was hovering by the kitchen door.

"Can you start a chicken and dumplings for me," she jerked her head in Alyssa's direction. Syed nodded and ducked back in. "I better start on Jack's steak," Rowan informed them with a cheeky grin and then went to the kitchen herself.

Alyssa laughed at Rowan as she went away and then shook her head as she pulled out a pen and made a note on her hand to book Rowan and Ffion in for an appointment. Both for hair and Rowan for everything else too. She grinned. So far so good.

Rowan came out a short while later with the food. She put the shallow bowl of chicken and dumplings in front of Alyssa along with a salad and put Jack's plate in front of him.

"So, what will be available besides having the hair done?" Rowan asked curiously. She was nervous about having this done; she didn't like the idea of people being uneasy at the sight of her scars. The one thing she'd not had to worry about with Ray, there hadn't been enough light for him to see them.

Chris took his empty plate and went back to the kitchen. "I'll get on the washing up," he whispered in Rowan's ear and she nodded and smiled a thank you.

Alyssa picked up her knife and fork and looked up at Rowan with a smile.

"Manicure or pedicure. Only one or the other, not both, facial or body scrub and I might see if Kim is up for doing some waxing" she shrugged. "The leaflets don't tell you much because I need to see with Kim and Maddie what they are willing to do," she smiled. "But if people want more info then the number for the Salon is on there anyway."

Alyssa smiled at Rowan's apprehension and popped a piece of chicken into her mouth. "Don't look so worried, Ro."

Rowan nodded. "Hair, pedicure and facial then," she grinned. "And I'm not worried," she scoffed and refilled their water before heading back to the kitchen. For the rest of lunch, she ran between the floor and the kitchen, fortunately lunch wasn't as busy as usual, otherwise they never would have kept up.

Ffion dropped onto a chair and sipped at a glass of water once the restaurant was finally empty. Rowan and Syed and Chris dropped into chairs with her and sighed.

Jack glanced over. "Wow, you guys sure can move," he told them with a chuckle.

Alyssa grinned at them as she finished eating and swallowed her mouthful a she pushed her plate away.

"That was amazing, Ro," she smiled at her exhausted friend and grabbed both her and Jack's empty plates and took them through to the kitchen for Rowan.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Janine watched Bradley and frowned. She knew he fancied that Ffion girl, why hadn't she cooperated? Standard rumor seemed to be she flirted with anything in trousers and more than flirted if some people.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Rowan rolled her eyes at Jack and thanked Alyssa for taking the dishes back. She sighed and stood up and started grabbing the rest of the dishes from empty tables. Chris got up and started helping and waved at Ffion and Syed to stay seated when they both started to rise. Jack drained his water and then stood and walked over to Rowan and took the stack of dishes from her.

"Go sit," he told her sternly. Rowan smiled gratefully and nodded and slid into the chair across from Alyssa. She put her hands in her face and sighed, before lifting her head and looking at Alyssa. "I'm so tempted to close early. Chris got tonight off and I don't want to be too tired to enjoy it," she admitted.

She stood up and went to the register and picked up a stack of papers and sat back down across from Alyssa.

She grimaced as she looked at the stack. "I may have to close early just to have all these dinners to go ready by 5," she said. "Clearly no one wants to cook after the holiday," Rowan observed. She glanced over at Syed. "Can you stay a bit longer and help with these?" she asked him and held up the stack of papers.

"No problem," he assured her.

Rowan looked at her watch. Nearly 3. "You know what, Fee, go ahead and lock the door. We'll open just long enough for the food to get picked up at 5. When the floor is ready, go ahead and go."

"Oh, thanks, Rowan, you're lush, you are!" Ffion leapt to her feet and began to clean the tables with a vengeance.

Jack came back out of the kitchen after helping Chris with the dishes.

"The printer called. The flyers are ready so I suppose we should go and fetch them."

Alyssa smiled sympathetically at Rowan and chuckled at Ffion as she set to work quickly. She looked up with raised eyebrows at Jack and nodded and stood up. She went across to the other side of the table and leant down to give Rowan a hug, handing her the money for the lunches as she did.

"We'll go and pick up these leaflets from the printers and then I'll pop by and drop some in for you to leave lying around somewhere," she grinned as she straightened up. "And, if you're tired after you've finished all the orders then whose to say you can't have a nap to keep your strength up?" she smiled as she went and got her coat from the hook and slipped it on. She grinned at Rowan as she did the buttons up as she glanced over at Jack.

"I'm ready," she smiled him then turned and waved at Chris and Ffion.

She gave Rowan one last grin as she left the café with Jack and got into the car.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Whitney flipped through the mail as she drank her tea and tried to shut out the noises of Tiffany and Liam arguing over the last of the cereal. Nothing from the school, but there was what looked to be a late Christmas card from Ryan. She grinned and opened it and gasped as money fell out. She hurriedly grabbed up the notes and counted. She read the card and smiled at the picture of him and Stacey with the baby that he'd also enclosed. He'd also included an email address in the card with strict instructions to share it with no one and to tear up the card. He'd added a "ha ha". Whitney took the stairs two at a time to send an email to her brother.

While she waited for her laptop to boot up she sent Molly a text. "Got Xmas card from Ry. Sent me 200 quid!"

Whitney sent off a quick email to her brother, thanking him for the money and the picture. She was glad they were doing well. She didn't tell him she'd never really liked Janine, or how creepy Janine had become. She was always lurking around the Square, usually with a bottle of something in hand.

She picked up her phone and shoved it in her bag and shut down her computer before heading over to the café.

She ordered tea and a cheese sandwich from Jane before spotting Peter sweeping the floor. She went over to him.

"Okay, so let's say at 50 a week for now, yeah? My brother sent me 200 for Christmas so here," she said and handed him the folded notes. "That's me paid for a month and I'll bring my stuff over later."

Peter nodded and pocketed the money.

"You got it. Jane already tidied up dad's room and moved his stuff out of it and I helped her box it up to store it, so the room is ready for you."

"Thanks, Pete. But don't go expecting me to do all the cooking and cleaning just cause I'm a girl."

Peter held up his hands in surrender. "I wouldn't dream of it," he assured her. Whitney gave him a quick hug and went to get her food from Jane.

She flipped open her phone as she took a bite of her sandwich and sent off another text to Molly.

"Used the money R sent to pay Peter for a month. Moving 2nite :D"

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

After three glasses of wine, Davina finally called it quits.

"I'll need to tidy up if we're going to dinner tonight and I have some calls to make," she told Max. He nodded and got up and walked her back to the B&B. She thanked him, but kept her distance so he wasn't encouraged to move in for a kiss.

He reached out and took her hand and kissed it and watched her head into the B&B.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Molly saw her phone flashing and wondered why she hadn't heard the texts come through as she read them. It was on silent. Her phone was on silent so that she didn't wake Sam. That made sense. She sat cross-legged on her bed and fired on back.

"u want a hand movin ur stuff? :D"

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Whitney finished her sandwich and looked at her phone. She read Molly's text.

"No, just my clothes really but u cn cm visit and kp me company :D" she sent back.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Molly read the text as she came out of the shower. She grinned.

"Anything 2 get out of here. Had enuf of screamin baby ;)"

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

"C U soon then ;D" Whitney sent back.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Molly grinned and sent back a smiley face then slid her phone onto her bed as she got dressed. When she came out of her room she smiled at the sight of her Mum balancing Sam in her arms as she worked on making herself some toast.

"Mum, can I go down and help Whitney move into Peter's house?" she asked as she took Sam so Alex could move around the kitchen more freely.

"Sure, I see no reason why not," Alex smiled. "What time are you going?" she asked as she turned and grabbed herself the butter out of the fridge.

"Ummmmm," Molly thought and then took out her phone to check if Whitney had said a time. "Any time really, she's moving in tonight she says but I think I'm going to go round and help her to pack her stuff, I reckon it's going to take ages with Tiff and Morgan around," she grinned as she pocketed her phone again.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Davina took a nap when she got back to her room. She woke up a few hours later and took a shower. She found she was looking forward to dinner with Max.

Gene woke up and stretched. His back hurt a bit from sleeping in his chair but otherwise he felt much better. He walked out of his office and nodded at Ray before going to the staff kitchen and making a cup of tea. He went outside and leaned against the wall to sip his tea and smoke.

He wondered how long the constant waking would go on. He found himself feeling slightly grateful that Walford didn't have a terribly high crime rate, otherwise he would be in trouble. He wouldn't be able to function like this for long.

He went back inside and wandered around the staff room for awhile.

Gene sighed and wandered around the station before returning to his office. He looked at the stack of paperwork on his desk and frowned. He picked up the phone and considered calling Alex, but if she was still sleeping he didn't want to wake her.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Alyssa paid and picked up a box of flyers and leaflets from the printers and put them in the car. Jack drove her back to the Salon via the restaurant where she posted her leaflets through the letterbox, she decided that it was better not to disturb Rowan and Chris especially seeing as Chris had got the afternoon off. She sat back in the car and went back to the Salon where she saw Kim and Maddie making their way over. She handed Kim and Jack a bundle of flyers each and sent them off as she let Maddie into the Salon and they started on unpacking the delivery and replacing empty product bottles.

Jack took the flyers from Alyssa and kissed her before setting off to hand them out.

He wandered around the Square, making the occasional joke as he passed out the flyers.

Suddenly, his eyes widened and he ducked around a doorway as he saw Davina walking in his direction with Max Branning. Max! Good grief. He waited until he saw their backs retreating in the distance and finally allowed himself to take a breath. Surely she wasn't staying! Was she Max's new girlfriend? He didn't know. But one thing he did know, he needed to tell Alyssa now, before he came face to face with Davina. He was sure she wouldn't create a scene but he wanted nothing to cause any problems between himself and Alyssa. He dropped the last of his flyers in the Minute Mart and headed over to the salon.

He went inside and got Alyssa.

"I need a word," he told her, his voice low. He glanced over at Maddie and then back at Alyssa. "Alone."

Maddie looked up curiously as Jack came in and took Alyssa aside. She politely looked away and tried not listen.

Alyssa frowned at him and put the last bottle onto the shelf and followed him away from Maddie who moved in the opposite direction.

Alyssa lead Jack to the stairs and went up them until she was sat on the top step, out of earshot of Maddie.

"What's wrong?"

Jack glanced over at Maddie and then looked back at Alyssa.

"I've just seen Davina. She was walking across the Square with Max," he told her, unable to keep the shock from his expression. "I can't imagine what she's doing here, or why, or that she's with Max."

He cleared his throat. "I ducked in a doorway so she wouldn't see me. I have to assume she doesn't know I'm here, or I reckon she'd have been asking for me. But no one said anything while I was handing out flyers. I just wanted to say something so it wouldn't take you by surprise if we run into her. Although I honestly hope we don't."

Alyssa wasn't sure how to react. It was obvious that he didn't want to run into his ex, neither did she if she was being honest. 'Davina' had damaged Jack's self esteem and for that Alyssa hated her. The name reminded her of when Jack told her about the woman that had broke him; the day that her mum and Dad had turned up; the beer cans all over the floor: he hadn't thought that she would come back, all because of what had happened with Davina.

She sighed and tried to clear her mind. She didn't want to think like that about the woman. If they did run into her then Alyssa didn't want her temper to run away with her. She didn't know who Davina was, she only knew a snippet of her past with Jack. Though, for Max to chase after her she had to be pretty at least.

Alyssa looked down at him and smiled. "Thank you. At least this way I'm kind of prepared if we do end up bumping into her," she grinned "And if she does end up wanting you back, I'm not letting go without a fight, she better be prepared to lose some hair," she chuckled and stood up after kissing his cheek. "So stop worrying. Come on, Maddie and I are on the last box," she said as she took his hand and walked back downstairs.

"I'm not worried. And I don't care if she does want me back, she ain't getting me. I want nothing to do with her," Jack said, his tone lightly veiled with disgust. He followed her back downstairs.

"So, what should we do when we're done here? Dinner with Dad?" he grinned at her. "Or we could keep with our 'too lazy to cook theme' and go to the chippy."

Alyssa didn't comment on Davina, she had heard the change in his tone when he mentioned her, but accepted it passively, he was entitled to feel however be wished. She did feel a little relieved though, he didn't want Davina: no need for paranoia. She withdrew a smaller box out of the big one that he had moved for her earlier and passed it to him for him to open and sort. She grinned at him.

"I'm placing bets that Dad's at the bookies," she shrugged. "And after today I don't think I can be bothered to cook, so I fancy taking a lazy trip to the chippy," she answered as she knelt and dug around in the box, then looked up at him with a smirk. "Unless you feel like cooking?"

"I do believe I said 'our' theme, not yours. I'm in no mood to cook, or I would have said 'hey, I'll cook," he grinned at her and tossed a handful of packing peanuts at her. "The chippy it is. We can get your dad something. Oh, here's a thought, we can call him and ask," he said in a jokey tone. "I'll do it if you want."

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Ffion quickly cleaned the dining area while Chris washed the dishes and Rowan and Syed worked on getting the carry out orders ready. Rowan sent Ffion home when the cleaning was done and by the time people showed up at 5 to pick up their food, it was all ready. Rowan sent Syed home and then helped Chris finish cleaning up the kitchen.

She fixed each of them a dish of the chicken and dumplings but was so tired she barely ate half of it.

"I'm going to take a nap, then, well, we can have some fun," she grinned at him and gave him a long, slow kiss. Chris wrapped her in his arms and tugged on her braid.

"Wake you in say an hour? or two?"

Rowan thought a moment. "Let's say two, though I might wake up sooner than that."

He nodded and followed her upstairs.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Davina got ready and then went downstairs and sat on a sofa by the front desk and looked through a magazine as she waited for Max to arrive. She smiled at Max as he walked in.

Max walked over to her and offered her his arm and led her from the B&B.

"I thought we could go to Fargo's," he told her. "It's a nice place, unless you fancy Indian?"

Davina shrugged. "Your call. This Fargo's sounds fine with me."

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Ffion headed for the pub when Rowan finally let her go. She was tired and considered calling a cab but decided against it. The chill air felt good and it was rather nice to meander along the streets. When she got to the Vic, she ordered a vodka tonic from Tracey and then sat down at a table and considered what to do with the rest of her evening.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Janine's eyes tracked Ffion to the pub. She stayed where she was as she watched Ffion go inside and smiled. She went home and took a shower and got ready for a night on the town.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Shortly after 5, Gene emerged from his office.

"I'm going to the pub," he told Ray, "you coming or you going home?"

Ray looked up. He considered that Ronnie would be at home. Ronnie and her elevated sex drive. He stood and grabbed his coat. Gene looked like he needed company. Ray reckoned that he wasn't in any mood to go home to Drake, Alex! She was Alex Hunt now. Not Drake. Habit often got the better of him and he found himself calling her by her previous surname. But he got the impression that Gene wasn't enjoying life as a father so far. "I'll come, yeah," he would have one drink then go home. He grinned as he followed Gene to the Vic.

Gene slapped Ray on the shoulder.

"Good man, Raymondo," as they left for the pub. He ordered two pints from Tracey and passed one of them to Ray before walking over to the dartboard.

"Gentlemen," he greeted Ricky and Minty.

"All right, Mr. Hunt," Ricky nodded.

"Oh, you two should have seen the blond that was in the shop this morning. Legs up to here," Minty put his hand up to his neck, "and she was…" he trailed off and put his hands in front of his chest to indicate bust size. "Oh, she was gorgeous. Idiot Butcher over here told her how much it would cost to fix her car and told her she'd do better to buy a new one. So she does just that, and guess who she's having drinks with, earlier in here," Minty paused for dramatic effect, "Max Branning," Minty finished, as he looked at Ricky in disgust.

"Minty, I'm not going to rip her off, I'm not Phil. Besides, I'm married and you know what Bianca would do to me if she even thought I'd have a drink with that woman, and she was well out of your league, I have to say it," Ricky shot back.

Gene snorted a laugh and took a long drink of his pint. "No harm in looking though," he put in, "especially if they don't see you do it."

Ray grinned at Ricky and Minty as he listened to their conversation. He chuckled and sipped it slowly as he leant on the bar. New long-legged blonde? Not that he was in the market for anyone. He had Ronnie, and he didn't want to risk her wrath by having her catch him looking at another woman.

Gene joined Minty and Ricky at darts and started on a second pint. He thought again about calling Alex and thought that he didn't really want to go home.

Gene glanced at Ray and held the darts out.

"You here for a game or going home?" Gene grinned. He looked at his watch. He'd finish this game and then go he supposed. He hoped he would be fortified enough to handle being around a screaming baby.

Ray looked at his near empty glass and shook his head at the offer of a game.

"I'd best be heading off, Guv. Last thing I need is to be in her bad books again," he drained his pint and nodded at Ricky and Minty and finally Gene before marching out of the pub. His head was full of Ronnie as he made his way home, it was all he could do to stop himself from running. Surely he wasn't that desperate? He was. Desperate for her, always for her; Even just to hold her made him feel whole, complete: happy. His eyes lit up as the flat got steadily closer and closer and he slowed to a forced walk as he made his way upstairs.

He couldn't believe that she had an effect this strong on him. He had a physical, burning need for her. Just to see her, hold her, be with her, near her. As long as it was her. When had he become so soft? No that he minded. He loved her. He smiled as he opened the front door and slid out of his coat. Just the smell of her was enough, and he could smell her. He took a deep breath and intoxicated himself before moving into the front room. Home is where the heart is? His home would always be with Ronnie.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Janine finished getting ready and went to the pub. She spotted Ffion sitting alone and sipping at her drink. Janine's mouth twisted into a smile as she walked over to Ffion.

"Well, hey there, what are you doing sitting here all by yourself?" Janine asked as she sat down across from Ffion. Ffion looked up at Janine in surprise.

"I'm just having an after work drink. It was really busy today," Ffion told her, her tone uncertain.

"Here, why don't I get you another?" Janine offered.

Ffion's eyes widened in surprise but she finally nodded. "Vodka tonic, thank you."

Janine smiled and waved away Ffion's thanks before heading over to the bar to get a drink for Ffion and one for herself.

Janine brought a drink over for Ffion and sat back down.

"So, I was thinking of going to the club tonight, want to join me?"

Ffion thanked Janine for the drink and furrowed her brow at her question.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

Janine laughed and patted Ffion's hand. "I just thought it would be nice to have someone else to go clubbing with," Janine shrugged. "You don't seem to have many friends and I don't really either to be honest. But I like you; we could have loads of fun. Think about it," Janine urged and smiled again.

Ffion looked at Janine and tried to detect any falsehood, but she seemed genuine. She reluctantly nodded and Janine bounced in her seat and clapped.

"Fantastic, it'll be brilliant, you'll see."

Janine noticed Bradley walking in and leaned over to Ffion.

"He really does fancy you, you know. He was gutted when you left the other night," she told Ffion and put on a sad face.

Ffion looked over at Bradley and back at Janine. "He's all right, I suppose, he's fit enough."

"Fit?" Janine blurted, "oh, come on, he's…what do you call it, lush."

Ffion looked over at Bradley again and tilted her head as she chewed at her straw.

"I don't know, I just…." Ffion trailed off, unable to come up with the words she needed. She shrugged. "Anyway, what's your point?"

"My point is, we should ask him to come along tonight."

"Oh, I don't know, I thought you intended to go on the pull," Ffion wavered.

"I do, I do, but this way you've got a guaranteed pull if you don't find anyone."

Ffion thought about it for a moment. She supposed if she was careful it could work. She reluctantly nodded.

"Great, I'll go ask him," Janine said and stood up before Ffion could change her mind and walked up to Bradley.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Whitney carefully emptied her drawers and her wardrobe and began to carefully pack her things into the suitcase Bianca gave her. Whitney was just glad Bianca didn't get angry. She seemed to understand that Whitney would need a calmer place to do school-work and she'd be right next door to the café. The only thing Bianca didn't like was that it was sharing a house with two boys, although she kept it mostly to herself. Whitney was 18 now; it was time to let her go if she wanted to go.

Whitney looked at the clock and wondered when Molly would be here. She'd need someone to help carry that box of odds and ends.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Alex strapped Sam into her car and waited for Molly to climb in the back. She had agreed to take Molly into Walford, though both of them knew that it was just an excuse for Alex to get out of the house. She wasn't sure how she was going to cope looking after a baby all the time. She knew that she would likely be irritable from the lack of sleep, but she also reckoned that that was true for Molly and Gene too.

She sighed, she was worried about Gene, she didn't think that he had been properly prepared for what a baby meant, though he had coped well enough with her pregnancy hormones. She looked down at her watch as she waited for Molly to sort herself out. His shift would be done by now. And she knew where he would be. In the pub. She sighed once more and pulled away from the curb as she heard the buckle of Molly's seatbelt click.

Alex dropped Molly outside Whitney's and parked up for a moment. Sure enough, there was the Quattro. As she'd suspected. Her head rested against the steering wheel as a gut twisting thought occurred to her: she had a small, horrifying suspicion that, maybe, Sam would push them apart. The very thought made her want to cry. She pushed it away immediately. That was no way to think, she loved Gene, he loved her. They were strong, unbreakable. They would get through this, together. They got through everything together. Raising Sam would be no different she decided.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Whitney whipped open the door at Molly's knock.

"I'm nearly ready. Glad you decided to come, I have a box of stuff I'll need help with. It's not heavy, but I've got two suitcases and a knapsack to carry," she grinned and led Molly upstairs. "Oh, and you have to see the picture Ryan sent. I can't believe how happy they look."

She ushered Molly into her room and hurriedly locked the door so she could pack and visit uninterrupted. She pulled the photo from her purse and handed it to Molly before turning to fold the last of her clothes into the suitcase.

Molly took the picture and studied it. She smiled at the sheer joy on Ryan's face. He had never looked like that in Walford, not that she could remember anyway. She handed the photo back with a grin.

"He looks ridiculously happy," she said with a smile at her best mate as she took her usual seat on the edge of the bed.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Alyssa grinned and combed the pieces of polystyrene that had got caught in her hair out with her fingers. She dropped them into the box and looked up briefly as Maddie came back with a smaller, empty box.

"You call Dad, I'll tidy up here and then we can go and get some chips," she smiled at him as she lifted the box easily and gestured for Maddie to get the other one and she carried them outside to the huge bins down the side of the Salon. She balanced the box on her hip and held the bin open for Maddie to throw her box away, then dumped hers inside too. She let go of the lid and waved at Maddie as she left, then went back into the Salon.

Alyssa picked up the scattered pieces of polystyrene and dropped them in the bin, then did a quick sweep of the Salon to make sure everything was in order and packed up her laptop.

Jack held out his hand for Alyssa's phone, he didn't have Gerald's number. A mischievous smile crossed his face as he dialed Gerald's number. He waited until Gerald picked up and the smile widened.

"Gerry! Fish and chips for tea, any thoughts?" he boomed good-naturedly in an overly posh accent.

Alyssa looked up as Jack shortened her Dad's name and snorted a laugh as she packed all of her things into her bag and rolled the wire of her laptop charger around her hand. Gerry!

Gerald reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone as it started ringing. He groaned as his horse fell on the last hurdle and answered the phone after a glance at the caller ID.

Gerald's eyes widened as Jack's voice came through the phone. He had expected it to be Alyssa. Gerry? He had called him Gerry? He frowned but didn't comment on it.

"Get me a chicken pie with some chips. I'm in no mood for fish," he answered and glanced back up at the TV screen as the results came in. He scowled and leant against the wall as a small line of winners went to the desk. He should've picked the favourite. "It's been a bad day on the horses," he elaborated darkly.

"Sorry to hear that, Gerry old chap," Jack continued in an overdone posh accent, his tone commiserating. He wriggled his eyebrows at Alyssa when he saw her expression. "Chicken pie and chips it is," he added and then hung up. He looked at Alyssa and smoothed his features before bursting into laughter.

"I think you dad just might hate me now," he informed her in a slightly smug tone. He offered her his arm and put on the overly posh accent again.

"Shall we, Lyssie my dear," he invited and blinked at her.

Alyssa closed her eyes and then shook her head dramatically. She wouldn't comment. They had had the insanity discussion before. Now she had to live with it. And stay sane. She let loose a laugh and took his arm with a grin

"Yes, Darling. I believe we shall," she answered, emphasising her accent as she failed to hold in her giggles.

He paid for their food and swung the bag from his free hand and twined his other hand with hers as they walked back to the salon and his car.

"Should we go fetch your dad from the bookies so he can eat his dinner hot?" he asked her curiously as he unlocked the car.

Alyssa shook her head as she climbed in her side of the car and strapped herself in. She took the bag from him and set it on her lap as he started up the car.

"No, he might still have some races left or whatever. He can just pop his food in the microwave if it's cold when he gets home," she smiled.

Jack shrugged and slid behind the wheel.

"So, we'll have some time alone then," he remarked in a silky tone and revved the engine of the car and gave her a look before driving home.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\

Gerald only just held in his groan at Jack. How Alyssa managed to live with him all the time was a mystery. He was eternally grateful when Jack hung up and his phone went back into his pocket. The man was lacking sanity. Gerry old chap? He scowled. Nicknames. Gerry! He grunted and looked at his last betting slip, praying for good luck.


	10. Chapter 10

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 10**

Alyssa took the paper bag off her lap once he pulled up outside the house and slid out of the car. She shut the door and got her bag and laptop case from the footwell then dug her keys from her pocket and opened the front door to get inside. She left it open for him and made her way to the kitchen and got a couple of plates out and popped them in the oven on a low heat to keep them warm as she unpacked the food.

She placed her Dad's to one side then got out the chips she had ordered and one of the now warm plates from the oven and emptied the contents of the paper wrappings onto it. She dug in the draw for a fork and placed the plate on the table as she reached for the ketchup.

Jack followed Alyssa into the house, feeling a bit useless. He could have carried something. He folded his arms and gazed at the fiery-haired and fiery-tempered love of his life, mistress of his heart and gave an internal shrug. When she wanted help, she'd tell him, in no uncertain terms either.

He walked over and slipped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair at the side of her neck.

"So...while the Dad's away..." he purred in her ear.

Alyssa felt the butterflies as she always did when he touched her: the familiar feeling of her tummy turning on it's head. She placed the ketchup bottle on the kitchen counter and leant back against him for a moment with a smile. She turned in his arms and slid her arms around his neck, then tilted her head up and kissed him.

"The headmaster and his fiancée play?" she breathed against his lips as her forehead rested against his.

"Hmmm," he gave her a brief kiss. "Let's take the food up with us, we'll need refueling," he said and grabbed the food and went up the stairs two at a time. "Hurry up, slow-poke," he called down to her.

Alyssa grabbed up her plate after squeezing a blob of ketchup onto the chips and replacing the bottle. She picked up the tray and a couple of cans as an afterthought, no doubt they would be thirsty later and in no mood to move. Balancing them carefully she made her way upstairs and deposited the tray on the dressing table before shutting the door, stripping off her clothes and joining him on the bed.

Jack dipped a chip into ketchup and held it to Alyssa's mouth. He tapped her nose instead of letting her bite it, getting ketchup on her nose. Then he held the chip up to her mouth again so she could take a bite. He let her eat the chip and then licked the ketchup from the tip of her nose.

Alyssa swallowed the chip and frowned at him. "That was a complete waste of ketchup," she pouted, then grinned as she rubbed at her nose with her wrist.

"I got it all off," he told her, "and it was only a tiny bit besides. Now," he began and dipped another chip in ketchup, "have another."

He took them steadily through the chips, dipping some in ketchup and feeding them to her and eating others himself, kissing her lips, neck and shoulders in between times. When the chips were gone, Jack put the plates aside and looked at Alyssa with undisguised greed before pressing his lips to hers.

"I'll have you for dessert," he told her and did just that.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gerald dragged his feet and smoked as he walked grudgingly back to the house. The racing hadn't been good. He had lost practically all his bets bar one. One, that won him less than half of his overall bets for the that day. He snorted as he stubbed the cigarette out and chucked it carelessly into the bin. He cast his eyes over the house as he drew near and dug in his pocket for his keys. His fingers touched a small balled up betting slip and he scowled. Rubbish. He threw it at a tree uncaringly and forced his key into the lock and let himself inside.

One foot in and he could smell the chips. His mouth watered and he went directly to the kitchen. He glanced around for Jack or Alyssa and saw neither of them. Alyssa had been here though. A small drop of ketchup was on the counter. She always had ketchup with chips. He cleaned it up and spotted his food in the microwave. He set it for a minute and grabbed a can out of the fridge. He drank half back and tapped it while the microwave whirred. He could hear hushed voices upstairs. It didn't take a genius to work out where his daughter and her fiancé were. He shook his head and pulled his pie and chips out of the microwave and plonked himself onto a chair at the table and ate his food.

Ronnie's eyes slowly opened as the sound of the door closing woke her up. She looked at the TV. News. How had it got so late? She hadn't thought she was that tired. She noticed the empty container that had held the cinnamon rolls and grimaced. She'd eaten them both! Greedy pig, she chastised herself. She let out a soft groan and wondered what time Ray would be home.

She closed her eyes and opened them again as she yawned hugely. Her eyes widened as she heard her stomach growl loudly and she put her finger to her lips.

"Shhh," she said sternly and sat up. She pushed her hair back and noticed Ray standing there. She realized the sound of the door had been in the flat and not on TV.

"Hi, I fell asleep and didn't make it out to go shopping," she said and managed to look a bit shamefaced. Her stomach growled again and she put her hands on her belly and leaned on the back of the couch and looked up at him with a studied, pleading expression.

"Takeaway?" she asked plaintively.

Ray grinned down at her and nodded as he made his way to the cabinet and pulled out the various takeaway menus they had. He grabbed the phone and sat down next to her on the sofa and passed her some of the menus as he looked over the others.

"What d'you fancy?" he asked as he flicked through his small handful and looked over at hers. "I'm not really too bothered," he grinned. His attention was caught momentarily by a story on the news and he looked up and watched until the newsreader came back on with some news about a school that had done a load of charity work. Uninteresting. His attention moved back to Ronnie and looked at the menu she was reading.

"Sooo...?" he smiled as he slipped an arm comfortably around her shoulders.

Ronnie sighed and looked through the menus. She was hungry, but had no idea what she wanted. She growled in annoyance and waved the menu.

"I don't know," she wailed. "I'm just hungry."

She flung the menus to the floor in aggravation and glared at the wall. She shifted until she was seated sideways between Ray's legs with her legs draped over one of his legs and she leaned against his chest. She looked at the scattering of menus. She picked one up that was still on the couch and toyed with it.

"I guess get Chinese delivered," she finally decided. "Sweet and sour chicken and….um….egg rolls….ummm….BBQ pork and I guess beef with broccoli," she held up the menu for him to take and shifted comfortably against him. He smelled so good. She didn't remember him ever smelling quite so good.

She shifted slightly so he could get his phone from his pocket and then began unbuttoning his shirt as he called the restaurant. She pressed her face to his bared chest and inhaled as she traced a finger over his flesh.

Ray slid his arm around her waist as she deposited herself onto him and wisely didn't comment on her little tantrum. He grabbed up the menu she had chosen and dialled the number.

He shivered discreetly as she undid his shirt and scanned the menu for the numbers of the dishes she had chosen as he waited for the restaurant to pick.

"Hey mate," he answered when the phone was eventually picked up. The hand that held her waist went to take her hand that was tracing over his chest. She couldn't keep that up while he was on the phone. "Yeah, can I get 25, 37, 12 and a couple of number 78? Yeah? Great two of those as well then," he grinned and squeezed her hand in warning as he let it go.

Ronnie's eyebrows went up slightly as he grabbed her hand. She moved her hand that was behind him up and then grazed her fingernails down his spine.

When he let go of her hand she snaked it up and around his neck and began to toy with the curls at the nape of his neck. She carefully dragged her top over her head so that she was only in her knickers and began to slowly press hungry kisses across his chest as she waited for him to get off the phone.

The moment he was she snatched it from his hand and put it on the coffee table before slinging her arm around his neck again and pulling him to her for a kiss.

Ray growled and immediately used his hands to clutch her to him tightly. He kissed her fiercely and then pulled away when the need for oxygen became too great.

"Unfair," was all he said.

His hands moved to rest on his hips as he looked at her, his eyes travelling down her body and then back up. They finally rested on her breasts as he considered them. One hand came up to caress them as he looked back at her.

"I think you're right. They are bigger," he commented then leant his mouth down to her and replaced his hand.

Ronnie moaned softly at the feel of his lips on her flesh and shivered. She shifted under him carefully and shifted her backside so she was next to him rather than between his legs and leaned slowly back, her hands on his shoulders to pull him with her as she rested her head against the pillow she'd slept on earlier.

"Oh, Ray," she whispered and tightened her grip on his shoulders. She moaned again and shook with desire. She burned under his touch.

Ray continued to fondle her breast with one hand as he lavished attention on the other with his mouth, slowly. He adjusted himself to the new position so that he was comfortable. He smirked against her skin as he switched breasts and took his time. He was in no rush and was enjoying himself, he wanted her, but this time, she came first.

He moved his hand down her stomach gently and teased the band of her knickers before slipping his hand inside and stroking her.

Ronnie arched against him and cried out and clenched the material of his shirt in her fists. She was ready, more than ready, why was he tormenting her? She gasped for air and words began to spill from her lips, telling him how good it felt, what it was doing to her, begging him for more in the most graphic and detailed terms she could manage.

Ray's head lifted and his fingers stilled as she spoke. His eyes widened as he looked at her. He had never ever heard her speak like that before. His eyes closed as he tried to stay in control of himself. If she kept talking like that then he would lose his control very quickly. His mouth clamped over hers as he silenced her words with a rough kiss as his hands began to move again.

"Shhhhh," was all he said when he pulled away and resumed his work on her body: worshipping every beautiful inch of her.

Ronnie's eyes flew open when he kissed her and she met his gaze when he told her to shush. But she couldn't. She cried out, a long drawn out cry and grabbed fistfuls of his shirt as the first wave washed over her. She wasn't sure how much she could take, but bit her lip to stop herself talking.

She shook beneath him as her breath came in short panting bursts. As the next wave slammed into her, her mouth flew open. She wanted him inside her, thrusting hard, filling her and this time, instead of begging, she demanded.

Ray groaned loudly into her flesh at her words. He wouldn't be able to do this to her if she kept saying things like that. Mind you, that was what she wanted: who was he to refuse her? He raised his head and looked down at her as he stopped touching her and lifted himself off her so that he could get out of his trousers.

Once all his clothes had been stripped away he tore her knickers away and stroked his hands up her body as he looked down at her face. This woman loved him? This beautiful woman wanted _him_ over any other man? It was too good to be true, but he wouldn't question her. He loved her and wanted her, too. His hands cupped her face and he kissed his as he trust into her and groaned into her mouth simultaneously. She was perfect.

"Yes!" Ronnie exulted as he thrust into her. "Oh, Ray!"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and her leg around his waist as she bucked beneath him. He drove her crazy and she loved it. Nothing compared to this.

Ray clutched her to him fiercely as he maintained his pace. His fingers traced over her body as he moved inside her and he watched her as he went. Her name was torn from him over and over again as he kept going. He couldn't stop. Couldn't slow. Could do nothing but what he was doing. She drove him to this every time and he never tired of it. How could he? She was incredible and every time it was different in one way or another. His hands reached for her face and he crashed his lips against her own in a desperate attempt to get as much from her as possible.

Ronnie kissed him back and broke off the kiss as she cried out his name again. He did this to her every time. She couldn't get enough. She gasped for air and tried to recover. She pressed soft kisses to his lips and put her hand on his cheek and gazed into his eyes.

"Oh, Ray," she let out a long sigh. The two times since she'd asked him to come home had been unbelievable. Her head was spinning. "I am jelly bones again," she told him and laid her head back onto the pillow.

She kept her hand on his cheek and gave him a soft smile. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, because I don't think I do."

Ray looked down at Ronnie and felt his heart burst. She thought she didn't deserve him? He didn't deserve her, she deserved so much better than him. He kissed down her neck and rested his head on her shoulder. "You deserve better than me," he whispered into her skin.  
She pulled in another deep breath. "When do you think the food will get here?"

He raised his head to look at her and then at the time on the TV. He looked back at Ronnie and shrugged as he climbed off her and pulled her back onto his lap and into his arms as he looked back at the TV.

"What are you watching this rubbish for?"

Ronnie gave him a soft kiss when he looked at her. She giggled as he pulled her up and back into his lap and reached down and grabbed the fleece she'd been sleeping under earlier and dragged it up to wrap around them as she cuddled against him.

"I wasn't really watching it so much as sleeping through it," she replied. She heard the buzzer for the door go and raised her head. She pulled the fleece around herself and got off his lap so he could go let the delivery guy come up.

Ray watched her and grunted as he stood up grudgingly, as much as he was hungry, he had been enjoying cuddling her and felt too comfortable to move. However, it seemed she was unwilling to go, and in her current state of dress he didn't want her to go out there either. He grabbed his underwear and pulled them on, followed by his trousers. He grabbed his wallet and made his way downstairs to the front door and paid the guy for the food. Ray brought the bag full of plastic cases back up and shut the door behind him. He grabbed a couple of plates and a fork each and took the whole lot back to her and sat down next to her as he unloaded the contents of the bag onto the table in front of them.

"There. Enough food to feed an army," he grinned and dug in.

Ronnie grabbed a fork and the container of sweet and sour chicken and began to eat her way steadily through her food. She sat back and let out a long breath when she finished. She'd eaten nearly as much as Ray she noticed.

"I'm tired," she muttered. She stood up and dropped the fleece blanket on the couch and gave Ray a quick kiss before going to the bedroom and climbing into bed.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Whitney grinned. "I know, I emailed him and teased him about it," she sighed. "I'm kind of jealous though, you know. The last thing I went on even resembling a date was the party at R&R's, with Bolton. Seems like ages ago. I never heard from him again, suppose I shouldn't be surprised," she shrugged.

"I guess I just need to get school done and become one of those ball-breaking career women who can't be bothered with men," she joked as she finished packing her clothes. "There, all done."

She closed the suitcase and went methodically through her room to make sure she had everything she wanted to take. She nodded. "That's it then." She looked around her room and sighed.

"You know, I just thought of something. I won't be able to invite you to sleep over when I'm at Peter's. Your mum would go spare and your step-dad, he'd probably shoot someone."

Molly picked up the things Whitney had indicated and sighed. "And I doubt a sleepover is going to be fun with a screaming baby. He woke up at least 5 times last night. Mum was a wreck this morning," she shook her head. "Besides, it's like, almost less than a year until I'm 18. Then no way can Gene or Mum chastise me for having a sleepover around guys," she grinned. "I might get away with it if I promise to sleep in a separate room to them. No funny business," she chuckled.

"I have my own room, you can stay in it. They probably wouldn't mind so much if Peter wasn't your boyfriend," Whitney snorted. She slung her knapsack over her shoulder and picked up the two suitcases.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said and opened her bedroom door. Bianca saw Whitney emerging from her room and took one of the suitcases from her and carried it downstairs.

"You be careful now, Whit, yeah?" Bianca said.

"I will B, don't worry. Let me know when something shows from the school, I'm supposed to hear something this week."

Bianca nodded and got the door.

Molly grinned and waved at Bianca as she followed Whitney out and walked happily along with her to Peter's house.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

They walked in to the Vic and Minty nudged Ricky when he saw her come in.

"It's her from earlier," he whispered. Ricky looked over at and then back at Minty. "Lucky Max," Ricky remarked.

Gene looked over and looked Davina up and down as she followed Max to a table. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Minty.

"You were right," he commented appreciatively and took a drink of his pint.

Davina noticed the men from the garage staring at her, well, the big balding one was at any rate, and a big man they were playing darts with. She focused her attention on Max as he brought back the drinks.

Max utterly and completely charmed Davina over dinner and when he asked her if she could come back and spend New Year's Eve with him, she accepted immediately.

"So, one more drink down at the pub before I walk you home?" he asked her.

"I suppose one drink, but I'm not going to sleep with you," she warned him and stood up. He grinned and put money down to pay the bill and helped her on with her coat before walking her out.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Alex made use of Sam's late afternoon nap to make a start on dinner. She wondered when Gene would finally come home. She missed him. She felt as though she had hardly seen him. Except when he was asleep, or feigning sleep to get out of sorting Sam.

She wished he would come home. She was anxious. She didn't know what his thoughts on the baby were, but didn't expect anything excessively positive after last night. But she needed him. They needed him. Her, Molly and Sam. They were a family. Her family. She needed to know what was in his head, to have him reassure her.

She pushed it out of her head and focused on something else. The house needed cleaning.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Peter ran out of the café when he saw Molly and Whitney walking past.

He opened the gate for them and then the door and held up a keyring to show Whitney before putting it on the kitchen counter.

"Jane went and made you a set of keys," he told her. "I'd help, but I have to get back to the café."

He gave Molly a swift kiss before running out. Whitney laughed and put down one of the suitcases and led the way upstairs to what would be her room. She looked around her new home as she put her suitcase down next to the bed.

"So glad I'll have my own bathroom. The idea of sharing with two boys would just be, ugh," she remarked.

Molly grimaced and shuddered.

"God! Can you imagine! I mean, I don't share with Mum or Gene, but when I lived with Dad the state of the bathroom was atrocious! I don't think he ever gave it a proper clean," she shuddered again and cringed as she put the box on the floor.

"I don't want to imagine, yeah," Whitney remarked, her eyes wide, then burst into laughter. She went downstairs and got her other suitcase and brought it up and began to unpack.

Whitney finished hanging up her clothes and then dumped her other things in the dresser drawers and looked at Molly.

"Should we go next door and get something to eat?"

Molly stood up off the bed and nodded.

"I'm starving" she agreed with a grin

Whitney bounded down the stairs and grabbed up her keys from the counter and raced Molly to the cafe.

"I'll have a lasagne please, Jane," Whitney ordered. "I don't suppose I get a discount for being a roommate?" she asked and winked at Jane.

Jane shook her head. "No, but what I will do is this will all be on the house," she gestured at Whitney and Molly both. "And I want you to promise to keep an eye on him, especially when he's with that Fatboy. I know, Fatboy is basically a good kid, but chaos seems to follow him around."

"I think so, sometimes," Whitney agreed. "Yeah, I'll make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble."

"Thank you," Jane said and then turned to Molly. "Now, what can I get you?"

Molly deliberated and then smiled up at Jane.

"Can I have a cheeseburger please?" she asked as she looked at the blackboard with today's specials written on.

Jane nodded and got Molly and Whitney their food. Peter left the cafe to go and do the paperwork at the chippy.

Whitney talked about what she was looking forward to back at school and pulled out her sketchpad and began to rough out a design for an outfit she'd been thinking of.

Molly ate her way through her burger and nodded at Whitney's design and what she was saying as she studied it and tried not to stain the page with food. She grinned as Whitney finished her rough design. "I like it," she grinned as she cleaned the sauce off her fingers.

Whitney grinned. "Thanks. You can be my model when I make it," she giggled and closed the book.

/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\

She glanced up when Jane came over and told them she was getting ready to close up. Whitney hadn't realized it was quite so late.

Molly nodded and stood up as she glanced at her phone. She bit her lip. She really should go home, it was getting quite late.

"I'll see you later Whit. Text me any New Year's plans, okay," she said as she hugged her friend and began the walk home. She sent off a text to Alex as she walked saying she was on her way home.

Whitney clapped her hands.

"Yes, we should have a party," she said to Molly as she followed her out of the cafe. "I'll talk to Peter about it."

She stood at the gate and waved goodbye to Molly before going inside. She looked around the house a bit and went upstairs to her new room. She changed into her pajamas and jumped onto the bed with a grin before burrowing under the covers and going to sleep.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Gene finished another game and drained his pint. It was getting late, he really should go home. He waved off the offers of another game and reluctantly left the pub and headed home.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

As Davina walked along with Max, she saw the woman she'd spoken to earlier at the salon. The man with her turned his head to say something to her and Davina gasped. She'd know that profile anywhere. What was Jack Rimmer doing here? She heard him laugh, that wonderful, warm, familiar laugh. She felt her heart constrict and didn't hear the small noise that slipped from her lips.

Max noticed Davina's odd behavior and looked at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his tone concerned.

"Oh, yes, fine," she lied quickly and smiled at him. She allowed him a quick kiss when they got to the B&B but told him goodbye firmly before he tried to press her farther. One thing she was certain of, she couldn't wait to come back for New Year's.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Janine smirked as she watched Bradley and Ffion dance. It hadn't taken much to get Ffion extremely drunk so that she would be amenable to any suggestions and it didn't take much persuading to convince Bradley to make those suggestions.

She watched as Bradley led Ffion to the bathroom and followed them. She hid in the stall next to them and a nasty smirk twisted her face as she carefully recorded Bradley shagging Ffion.

She waited after they'd finished and gone before emerging from the bathroom and going home.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Alex looked up as she heard the familiar sound of the Quattro. She allowed herself to smile. He was home. She stayed where she was at the oven and listened as he came in. She smiled as the door shut softly and she turned to watch him as made his way into the flat.

"Don't worry," she assured him. "Sam's asleep."

Gene nodded and gave Alex a quick kiss before looking around for food.

"Won two pints off Minty and Ricky at the pub, Minty was well off his game, some leggy blond in the pub he couldn't take his eyes off of," he told her as he grabbed a beer out of the fridge. "Not that I'm complaining, he'd been doing better than usual up until then."

He grinned at her. "So, what do you fancy to eat?"

Alex smiled at him as she went back to the oven and peered inside

"I'm doing Gammon steaks, peas are on the hob and there are baked potatoes, too," she said as she shut the oven door and smiled at him. "And if you're lucky I might do some parsley sauce."

She moved over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She hugged him tightly for a moment the let go.

"Then I hope I'm lucky," he replied when she let him go and leaned against the counter.

"How's everything at work?" she asked curiously as she went back over to put the peas on, and check on the baked potatoes.

"Work is boring, you aren't missing much. Though I think Ray nearly shagged Ronnie in the office today. I'm glad I had the blinds drawn and luckily I saw what was going on and didn't walk out and interrupt," he shook his head then paused. "Though, it would have been fun to embarrass the pair of them," he chuckled.

Alex laughed at that and turned back to look at him.

"Where's Molly?"

"Molly is helping Whitney move her things into Peter's house. She's moving in there while she does her Uni Course because it's quieter than her house," she told him as she got herself a glass of wine and sipped it slowly.

"Ahhh," he said and took another drink of his beer. He watched Alex cook for a few minutes and then an idea occurred to him.

"If she thinks she's sleeping over with Whitney, I'd say she best think again."

Alex chuckled as she worked and shut her eyes as she shook her head. She agreed with him. Molly wasn't sleeping in the same place as her boyfriend, and as much as Alex tolerated Fatboy she wasn't sure that she wanted her daughter staying the night near him either.

"Agreed," she nodded and looked back at him briefly before getting and opening the packet and adding boiling water to make the parsley sauce. "No sleepovers at the Beale's house. Maybe if there's an adult present, but not with just two teenage boys and Whitney," she confirmed as she stirred rhythmically.

Gene heard Sam wake up and glanced at Alex out of the corner of his eye.

"Make a bottle," he told her and went to get the baby. He didn't want to listen to the screaming any longer than he had to. He got Sam out of the cot and carried him into the front room and sat down on the couch with the baby.

He craned to look in the kitchen to see what Alex was doing.

Alex did as she was told without batting an eyelid. She smiled. He was helping with the baby, he wanted to help. She sighed in relief, maybe this wouldn't push them apart. Maybe it would hold them together. She hurriedly fixed the lid onto the bottle and took it back over to him. She handed it to him and kissed his forehead before returning to the stove and plating up the food. She turned the temperature on the oven down and pushed the plates filled with their dinner into it. They would keep until Gene was finished with Sam.

Gene hurriedly stuck the bottle in Sam's mouth and sighed. Blessed silence. He leaned his head back on the back of the couch and closed his eyes.

"At least he's sometimes easier to shut up than Sam Tyler ever was," Gene remarked in a wry tone.

He lifted his head and grabbed up the remote and turned on the tele. He glanced over at Alex.

"You can eat you know, bring the plates in here, you eat, and when he's done, I will. Good grief, woman, everything doesn't have to come to a stop just because he's hungry," he snorted and began flipping channels.

Alex rolled her eyes at him and pulled a face as she grabbed the plates of food from the oven. She grabbed some cutlery and some trays and arranged the food. She carried the trays over and placed his in front of him before returning to get hers and sat next to him. She set it on her knees and looked over at him and Sam. The sight made her feel warm and fuzzy. She smiled to herself and dug into the food.

Gene looked over at her as she began eating and then turned his attention to the television again. When Sam was finally done eating, he put the bottle aside and waited for Alex to finish her food before handing the baby to her.

He picked up his plate and set to his food with relish. He hadn't wanted to wait to eat, but it seemed only fair that Alex got a break on occasion. She had been the one getting up with him. But she didn't have to work. He worked his way through his food while she tended the baby and then looked at the clock.

It was getting late. "What time is Molly going to be home?"

Alex drew her feet up onto the sofa and cradled Sam as she leant back against the sofa peacefully. She was happy. She looked at Gene as his question and shifted Sam slightly so that she could dig in her pocket for her phone. Nothing from Molly so far. She checked the time. Molly had better be home soon.

"I'm not sure," she replied and wrinkled her nose as a nasty smell reached her. She looked down at Sam and grimaced.

"If I don't hear from her once I've sorted Mr Stinky out then I'll give her a ring" she said as she stood and took Sam into his room to change him.

Alex looked down at Sam and her hand flew to her phone as the vibrating started. She got it quickly before it made any noise and woke up Sam. He had finally gone to sleep after she had changed him, after some protests that thankfully hadn't been that loud. She send back a quick 'ok' and went back into the living room after shutting Sam's door and grabbing the handset. She put the two empty plates into the sink and curled into Gene on the the sofa next to him.

"Sam's asleep and Molls is on her way home," she sighed as she hugged him loosely around his middle.

Gene wrapped his arms around her and then stood up and carried her into the bedroom and pulled the covers back and put her in the bed. He pulled the covers over her and kissed her forehead.

"I'll go wait for Molly, get some sleep," he said and went back out into the front room.

Once Molly got home, he got up and changed for bed before climbing in next to Alex.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\\/\

**All is Quiet on New Years' Day...**

Gerald pulled the small body towards him and buried his face into her hair. She had been amazing, she had last time too; he had been waiting for a repeat performance for a while and had finally found his chance last night when Alyssa and Jack had gone out partying for New Year, he had celebrated in his own way. He ran a hand over her sleeping form and looked around the room. He hadn't been stupid enough to stay at home. Alyssa had been angry last time; Alyssa with a hangover was a death sentence if he got caught. The B&B had been immensely useful and he had enjoyed it. She was asleep and he had no desire to move, at all. Just holding someone to him was enough, Caroline hadn't wanted him in that way for a while, years. It felt good to have someone that actually wanted him, and as long as Caroline didn't find out, and if he was careful around Alyssa then he could enjoy this for as long as it lasted.

Ffion opened her eyes and sighed and shifted. She smiled at Gerald and rubbed her eyes.

"Morning."

She could hardly believe it when Gerald had called her. She was going to go out with Janine and party, but his call had put a stop to that. She was not going to turn Gerald down. She'd been a bit surprised at first when he'd taken her to the B&B, but then again, he probably didn't want Alyssa to catch them together again.

She put her head back down on his chest and felt content.

Gerald smiled down at her and stroked her hair. It felt good, he wasn't going to deny it. It felt good to wanted.

"Good morning," he replied calmly and slipped his arm tighter around her and held her to him. He was planning his excuse to Alyssa if she asked any questions, hopefully he could slip back into the house while she was sleeping off her hangover. It didn't matter if he ran into Jack, he had seemed to understand last time, why should this time be any different? Ffion had spoken to him about her brother briefly and why she had moved out of the house that day. Over-protective brother, it looked like they were both in for it if either Rhys or Alyssa found out.

"What time will you be expected back?" he asked as he shifted his weight slightly

Ffion shrugged at his question.

"They went to Essex to visit Shazza's family; I don't know when they'll be back if I'm being honest. Ginger and Simon won't be looking for me, they think I went out with Janine," she grinned up at him.

"Why, what did you have in mind?" she asked him and raised an eyebrow as her hand moved down his chest, then lower.

Gerald grinned at her as he felt the movement of her hand. She really was incredible. He instantly rolled her onto her back and took her mouth in a searing kiss as he proceeded to what he wished to her. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to be, and she didn't either.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Ray's arms felt empty without her. He rolled onto his back in minor frustration and stared at the ceiling. He knew this pregnancy thing was going to be hard, but he didn't think it would involve him having to be without her, even for a few nights. He had been having trouble sleeping while she wasn't there, yes she was only in the next room but even so, not nearly close enough. He sighed as he shifted restlessly and finally got up and grabbed his dressing gown, he forcefully put it on, taking his frustration out on his clothes. He knew that this wouldn't be for long, she had explained that to him, but he missed her. One of his favorite parts of the day was waking up in the mornings with Ronnie in his arms. Now he was in a bit of a bad mood because she hadn't been there.

Ray left their room and looked at the closed door of the spare room, Ronnie was in there. He suddenly had a urge to crawl into the smaller bed next to her and hug her to him as she slept, but discarded the notion. If she didn't want to sleep in the same bed as him at night then she wouldn't want to wake up in his arms. His gazed drifted to the calendar. January 1st. Happy New Year! He scowled and filled the kettle then set it back on the stand so that it could boil. He needed a nice strong mug of tea, it was too early for booze.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Whitney woke up and grimaced and grabbed her head. She gingerly sat up and then climbed out of bed and went downstairs to get some tea and something for her head. She couldn't believe the hangover she had!

She stopped short when she saw Peter in the kitchen. She gnawed her lip and looked at him as he turned towards her.

"I'm so sorry..." Whitney began.

"I can't believe I..." Peter said at the same time and they both stopped. They stared at each other and then Peter looked away to fix his tea.

"Tea?" he asked her and put a mug on the counter for her and dropped a tea bag in.

"Thanks," Whitney said quietly. She stood silently and picked at her fingernail before looking up at Peter again.

"We were both drunk and it was just a weird mistake. I won't say anything to Molly, it didn't mean anything. I don't fancy you," she told him.

Peter looked at her. "I won't say anything either. I don't know how it happened but," he sighed and shook his head. "It was just a kiss and I don't fancy you either, so don't worry."

Whitney nodded and stepped aside so Peter could walk past her and go upstairs.

"At least no one saw anything," she whispered as he went by then went to make her tea.

Peter nodded and went back upstairs. He couldn't believe he'd been so drunk and kissed Whitney. He knew he started it. Yes, she'd kissed him back but then they'd both stopped it. No one had seen them, there was that, at least.

JT sat up on the couch and stood up and stretched. He walked past the bedroom and looked in. Roxy was still draped across the bed. He couldn't believe her last night. He knew she liked a few drinks and that was all he'd ever seen her have, a few. But last night, she and Christian had gotten unbelievably drunk. He really couldn't comprehend it. He'd been completely disgusted by her behavior, not just the drinking, but the way she'd acted.

He was horrified. He went into the kitchen and started making breakfast. He was going to have to go, at least for a while. He wasn't sure he could be with Roxy after seeing her like that. Clearly it was something she did on a regular basis from the conversation he'd overhead between her and Christian. About the only thing that had been decent was he'd got to know Syed a lot better. It would make working with him a lot easier. He would be going back to work at the restaurant tomorrow. He would move back. He knew his room was still his. He nodded to himself and set to cooking with a vengeance.

Jack sat up and groaned. His back was killing him and the headache wasn't helping. He sat up and put his head in his hands. Last night had been a nightmare. He hadn't minded so much when Davina and Max had shown up at the party. He'd ended up having to introduce her to Alyssa and it had been frosty at best. Fortunately they'd managed to avoid each other for most of the time. Until Davina had caught him near the loos and tried to kiss him.

He'd been drunk and started to respond before pushing her away. He'd then turned to see Alyssa standing there. She'd not even given him a chance to explain, she'd simply gone for Davina.

He did have to admit though, she was something in a fight. Of course, all the drunken men in the pub had loved seeing the two women fighting with each other before Masood and a few others, including himself and Max, managed to tear them away from each other. He'd got Alyssa home, but she'd turned on him when they got there.

He just wished the couch was more comfortable. He was going to be groveling today, he was sure of it. He stumbled into the kitchen and started making the coffee before swallowing a couple of paracetamol to get rid of his headache.

Chris couldn't believe it when he finally got a minute. The whole night had been one thing after another and he'd barely had a chance to use the bogs, much less get some clothes. One of the PCs ran up to him and Chris nodded.

"Look, one quick call and then I'll be there," Chris held up a hand. The PC nodded and waited. Chris dialed Ray's number, the easiest option. He could go and pick up the clothes and bring them with him when he came to work later.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Fatboy rubbed his head as he thought. Last night was hazy. He had a niggling feeling though. Something had happened, but he didn't think that it happened to him, to someone else. Something bad? He wasn't sure. His memory was disjointed and he was confused. He lay back against his bed and tried to reach what he knew was lurking in his mind. He sighed, every time he was in touching distance it danced a little further away from him again. He gave up and went to get a shower, he could hear voices downstairs in the kitchen. Peter and Whitney were up then.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Alyssa threw her head deeper into her pillow as noise from downstairs echoed around the house. She vaguely remembered last night, she remembered Jack and _her. _Alyssa felt the anger well up again and shut her eyes as she tried to calm herself, she took a deep breath and scowled. His pillow. She threw it to the floor and grabbed her own instead. At least it didn't smell of him. She was so angry! She couldn't seem to calm down, he had only kissed her, he had been drunk. She swallowed a sob before it could surface and rolled onto her back. She winced, her fight with Davina had left her bruised and the part of her head where Davina had tried to pull her hair out ached almost as much as her hangover. She pulled the duvet tighter around her and burrowed beneath it as she shut her eyes tightly and tried to go back to sleep.

Alyssa scowled. She couldn't sleep, it just wouldn't come. She sat up and looked around the room groggily. First things first, this hangover needed to be sorted. She managed to heave herself out of bed and went to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom; she filled a spare glass with water and swallowed down two paracetamols. She closed her eyes for a moment and then looked into the mirror, she frowned as she inspected her face, she had a small cut on her forehead where Davina's nails had scratched her and some light bruises, and she looked rough. She shook her head and grabbed her fluffy dressing gown from the door and threw it on. She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm as she made her way downstairs and into the kitchen.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Ray grabbed his phone off the counter and raised his eyebrows at the caller ID, he knew Chris was working on nights, surely he should be home about now? Why was he calling him?

"Alright, mate?"

Ray yawned and tried to stifle it as he listened to Chris.

"Sure Chris, I'll see you later, mate" he answered and put the phone down once Chris had hung up.

He made himself a cup of tea and one for Ronnie, too, he didn't know whether she would want it or not, but it was there and ready if she did. He tapped on the door to the spare room and then let himself in. He sighed as he looked at her and once again he felt that dull ache, he wanted to hold her. He settled for perching on the end of her bed and setting her mug on her table as he waited patiently for her to wake.

Ronnie felt the shift of the bed and uncurled herself to turn and look at Ray. She rubbed at her eyes and groaned.

"What is it?"

She saw the tea and sat up. She yawned hugely and reached a hand up her pajama top sleeve to scratch her arm.

"Thanks," she said and picked up the tea and took a drink. "So, what is it?"

Ray sighed as he looked at her. He wasn't going to tell her that he missed her because it wasn't as though he had lost her. He just wasn't able to have her in his arms as he slept. And that sounded stupid. So he wouldn't say it. He contented himself with just looking at her.

"Good Morning to you, too," he snorted, then smiled down at her. "I'm working today. Chris just rang and he needs me to pick up some clothes for him. Something chaotic has gone on," he sighed.

"Sorry, good morning, I'm just so tired," she griped. She sipped her tea as she listened to him.

Ronnie could see that sleeping by himself was upsetting him, it upset her a bit too, but she just couldn't take it. He held her too close and she was just getting too warm and uncomfortable, and for some reason, she just didn't want him touching her. She'd been reading a book and so she knew this happened to some women. She began to wonder if she was going to get all the wonderful mental problems.

Her temper and crying was out of control, she couldn't stand the man she loved to touch her, not that she would tell him that part of it. And to make it worse, only a couple of days ago she couldn't keep her hands off him. She hoped this would pass as quickly.

"Okay, well, be careful. You know what drunken maniacs can be like. I wouldn't like you to be injured when this passes and I'm on to some other glorious hormonal part of the rollercoaster," she told him, her tone going slightly bitter at the end. "This must be to make up for the fact that I didn't get morning sickness. I think I'd rather have had the morning sickness. This sort of ride can go on for weeks," she looked at him and took another sip of her tea.

"Unsurprising really. It is New Year. But I've got to leave earlier to get down to his to grab some stuff and then get to work on time," he explained.

"I'll see you later then. I'll be over at the club. Sarah texted me and apparently the place is a disaster."

She leaned over and gave him a swift kiss, before pulling back. "Better hurry then," she grinned at him. "Oh, and I'm going in to see Dr. Bond today, check on my ankle," she grinned. "It hardly hurts at all anymore. I have to make sure I don't miss it because I had to practically beg. He only relented because he'd been away and I think I sounded quite pathetic."

"Be careful yourself. I don't want you hurt either" he told her sincerely.

Ray nodded and kissed the top of her head gently before taking his own mug and leaving the spare room. He missed her. She didn't even cuddle up to him outside the bedroom anymore and it was getting him down. He liked their intimacy, this new behaviour was weird and he didn't like it.

Ronnie snorted at his comment.

"I'm just going to have a disgustingly dirty club to face, you are going to have drunken lunatics, although to be fair, I will tread carefully. I don't want to hurt my ankle by slipping on some mystery substance best left a mystery and hurting my ankle again," she joked.

Ronnie watched him go and then looked at the clock as she yawned again. She drained her tea and flopped back down against the pillow with a tired sigh. She set the alarm so she would wake up in plenty of time for her appointment and drifted off to sleep again.

He sighed after draining his tea and went to get a shower. He had work in an hour, but had to make a detour anyway. He would walk unless he ran late, in that case he would take the bike.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Whitney fixed her tea and as an afterthought, made one for Fatboy as well. She couldn't believe she'd snogged Peter, her best friend's boyfriend! She was just glad that was all it had been and that they'd both had the sense to stop it.

She grabbed up her cup and the one for Fatboy and headed back upstairs. She tapped on Fatboy's door.

"Hey, Fats, cup of tea out here for you," she told him and went to her room. She sipped at her tea as she flipped on her laptop and looked over her letter again. Her financial assistance had been approved, the letter had come yesterday. She couldn't be more excited. Tomorrow she'd go and get finished with getting all the paperwork finished before she started school.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Peter laid on his back on his bed and berated himself. He was not ever going to get that drunk again. He was just glad everyone had gone home. He got up and looked at the window. They had managed to take the rubbish out. He'd go around the house later and clean up properly.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Fatboy heard Whitney outside his room. He was sure that she was involved, he just wasn't sure what she was involved in. He knew that he knew something. Just not what he knew. He was confusing himself. He grabbed his towel from his door and nearly knocked the mug over as he left his room. He righted the mug and placed it out of harms way, then went to the bathroom, hoping a shower would help clear his head

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Peter heard Fatboy get into the shower and sighed. He was going to have to get ready to go to the chippy this morning. He hoped Fatboy didn't take too long. He went back downstairs, glad that Whitney was gone and made some toast.

Whitney pulled out her phone and sent off a text to Molly.

"How u feelin? Am HURTIN. Nvr gona drink EVAH!"

She locked her bedroom door and stripped down and got in the shower. She was not going to enjoy today.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Davina climbed out of Max's bed and stumbled to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She grimaced at the memory of last night. First, trying to kiss Jack in a pathetic attempt to get him back and then the humiliating beating by his current girlfriend. She looked at her black eye in the mirror and then bent over the toilet to be sick.

The jeering calls of the people in the pub cheering the fight on was still echoing in her head. She stretched and rinsed her mouth out and sighed. She desperately needed something to drink, tea or coffee she didn't care. She went back into the bedroom and tapped Max on the shoulder.

"Got any coffee?" she asked him, her voice still husky from the screaming she'd done during the fight.

Max got up and nodded at Davina.

"You look rough," he told her. She half-growled at him. He chuckled and got out of bed. "Yes, I'll get the coffee going. Grab a shower if you like," he told her.

"I think I will. I don't know what I'm going to do about this eye. I won't be able to go back to work until it's taken care of. What am I gonna do?"

"What did you go snogging Alyssa's fella for anyway?"

"He was mine once, we were engaged years ago. It doesn't matter now. He doesn't want me back and she made it clear for me to stay away, therefore I will."

"I see," Max said and went downstairs to make the coffee.

Max fixed coffee and toast for himself and Davina and sat down at the table across from her.

"So, last night was certainly a lot of fun," Max remarked in a dry tone as he looked at Davina. He took a sip of his coffee and then put the cup down. "I suppose you'll be getting back with him then," he snorted a laugh. "You'll be the second woman I lost to that man."

Davina looked up at him. "I'm hardly your woman, Max. It was one night, last night," she corrected. "So, you were in a relationship with that...that..." Davina broke off, her head to sore to think up a suitably foul term for Alyssa.

"It was more on my end really. I was just a bit of fun for her, then she met Jack. She quit working for me and went to work at the salon and that was it."

"She worked for you?"

"Yeah, at the car lot."

"It's a mistake to get involved with people you work with. I was Jack's secretary," she told Max. "But it was a bit more serious for us, we did end up engaged."

"That's a real shame. But to answer your question, I think Jack made his feelings for me perfectly clear before that cow had a go at me."

Max nodded and bit back a chuckle. That fight had been something to see. He quietly sipped his coffee and ate his toast while she stewed.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\

Molly crawled out of bed, another exhausting night of waiting for her brother to shut up and let the rest of them get some sleep. She went to get a shower, Sam was screaming anyway and Alex was doing whatever she was doing, at least if she got one now then she wouldn't be in danger of waking him.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\

Jack heard Alyssa coming downstairs and fixed her cup of coffee and put it on the table before turning back to the bacon he was frying. He didn't want to catch her eye, in case she decided to dish some of what she'd done to Davina out on him.

He still couldn't believe she still blamed him. She knew he'd rejected Davina and he was sure she'd heard him call Davina a cow, or something rude at any rate, for trying to kiss him.

He kept his attention focused on the bacon and did not turn around.

Alyssa ignored him completely. As far as she was concerned he wasn't there. She got herself a glass of orange juice and put bread in the toaster. She ignored him and the mug of coffee he had made her. She didn't want it.

The toast popped up and she grabbed it. She would eat it dry. She picked up a plate and her half empty glass and made her way back upstairs with her sparse breakfast without a word to him

Jack turned and saw she'd left the coffee on the table and sighed. He frowned and took the bacon off the pan and put it on a plate and then moved to the table and grabbed the coffee. He stalked up to the bedroom and opened the door and put the coffee on the table and then folded his arms and looked at Alyssa as she sat there sulking.

"How childish are you?" he chided her. "It's not fair to keep blaming me. I didn't ask her to kiss me. In fact, if you remember I offered we could go elsewhere, the club maybe, when she and Max showed up. But no, you wanted to stay and I might have been imagining things ,but I think you wanted to rub our being together in her face. So, I went along with it and I stayed. I didn't expect her to ambush me and I know you saw me push her away and I know I said something rude to her but I don't quite remember what I said, not that it matters."

He sat down on the bed and looked at her sternly. "I'm not having this anymore. You knock off this behavior or I'll begin to think you want me to go to Davina, and I'd rather go with Bianca than go with Davina. You should at least sort yourself out and act normal when we go to Rowan's later this afternoon. She's gone to a lot of trouble with this late luncheon, early dinner thing of hers. It's why she left early remember? All sorts to get ready. And she's doing Mexican, which I know is your favorite so you're not going to beg off and miss it."

He stood up and huffed a breath. "There's bacon downstairs, and I'll be downstairs as well, if you want either of us."

He turned and stalked back downstairs, glad he'd finally said his piece. He was willing to take Alyssa's bullying only so far, it was high time he quit clowning and told her he'd had enough. He'd probably made her angrier.

Oh, well. He slathered mayo on some bread and threw together a bacon sandwich and sat down at the table to eat and wondered what time they might expect Gerald home. He only hoped Alyssa wasn't still in a snit when he got here.

Alyssa sat passively through his little speech and stared at the wall blankly. She only moved once she heard his foot hit the bottom step and the creak as it did so. She fell backwards onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

She wasn't planning on missing Rowan's Mexican thing today. She loved Rowan and her food too much to miss something like that. He had left the bedroom door open. She could smell the bacon and it was making her retch. She got off the bed and shut the door, then leant against it. She vaguely remembered Jack pushing Davina away and saying something. But in truth, her memories after she had watched Davina and Jack kissing were misted and blurry. She couldn't get a solid grasp on them to think about what happened.

Her gut twisted, he would go to Davina? No. She didn't want that. Surely that had been clear when she had started having a go at Davina, though in all fairness, Davina had started the fight: Alyssa had been perfectly happy using words before Davina had slapped her. She knew that much. She remembered nothing after that.

_'There's bacon downstairs, and I'll be downstairs as well, if you want either of us'_

She did want him. She didn't want to lose him. But she couldn't shake this. Not yet. She wouldn't go downstairs. Not with bacon cooking. She didn't fancy being sick.

/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\

Gene came back inside from smoking and fixed his cup of tea and Alex her coffee. He took the coffee in to her before draining his tea.

"I have to get to the station; they've had some crazy night apparently. I'll talk to you later," he said and went to pull on his coat.

Alex nodded. Something always went off on New Year's. Massive and explosive parties, drugs, alcohol etcetera. It didn't matter. She was focused on Sam. She didn't envy the team the clear up they had to do, London was a terrible place the morning after. She also was glad of no paperwork. There were some advantages to maternity leave.

Gene got to the station and tried to help Ginger and Chris and the other officers restore order, it wasn't easy. Everyone was short-tempered and hungry and exhausted. He slammed another unruly thug against a wall and shoved them into a cell as Ginger and a couple of PCs tried to get the paperwork started.

/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\

Fatboy washed as quick as he could as he tried to think. He still couldn't grasp whatever it was that was evading him. He put it out of his mind as he dried himself and put his clothes back on to walk across the landing. There was a girl living here now.

/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\

Molly groaned as her phone went off. She didn't need any more noise.

"Baby scream no help! AM DYING!"

/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\

Whitney felt marginally better after her shower. She got dressed and brushed out her hair. She tilted her head and looked at her hair in the mirror. She wondered if she shouldn't do something different. She was going to be going to school for fashion, after all. She would talk to Molly and see what she thought.

She took her empty mug downstairs and made another cup of tea and some toast. She leaned against the counter and read Molly's text. She smiled.

"Come here 4 quiet when u can"

/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\

Peter heard the shower go off and then a bit later, Fatboy go back to his room. Peter jumped up and took his clean clothes with him so he could get ready for work. He wondered if it would even be worth it, going back to school, now that he had to run the chippy. He took his shower quickly, aware that the hot water was probably nearly gone and got dressed.

"I'm off to the chippy, laters," he rapped on Fatboy's door as he passed and bounded downstairs.

He gave Whitney a brief wave and she nodded before turning back to her toast and buttering it.

Simon went home and cooked breakfast for his house guests. He'd been thrilled when Cherry and Jimmi had shown up to celebrate the New Year with him and Simon. Fortunately, Rhys and Shaz hadn't minded letting Ginger and Simon stay at their flat with Ffion so Cherry, Jimmi and Jimmi's mate Daniel could use Simon's flat. Simon's flat was just too small for everyone and Ginger wasn't sure about Rhys having complete strangers in his flat. Although Simon had told him that Jimmi was a fellow Welshman and probably as big a neat freak as Rhys to boot.

"Now, look. I only have a couple of appointments later today and then we can go do whatever you like."

"We could go for a picnic," Cherry suggested as she leaned against the counter and sipped her tea. Daniel groaned and Jimmi grinned.

"Will you need help with any of the appointments today do you reckon?" Jimmi asked.

"No, simple stuff really. A check up on a twisted ankle and wellness check on a baby. Nothing massive. Though I imagine the hospital couldn't say the same."

"What are you going to do Daniel?" Jimmi asked.

"No idea, but I'm not going on a picnic," he snorted. "I'll just laze around here for a bit and then go and walk around. But if we stay again tonight, I'm going to the B&B, that couch was not my idea of comfortable."

"Rhys and Shaz are back tonight anyway, so I hate to say it, but Cherry, you and Jimmi will have to go there as well if you're going to stay tonight."

"I don't mind," Cherry said and beamed at Jimmi. "I think it will be very romantic."

She took another sip of her tea as she gazed lovingly at Jimmi and then took the plates of food Simon handed her and put one in front of Jimmi before sitting down with her own. Simon turned and handed Daniel a plate and put his own down. He refilled his tea and sat down to eat.

Cherry looked at Jimmi when Daniel got up to take a shower.

"Tell me again why he had to come along?"

"He needed to get away as much as we did."

"I know, I know," she sighed.

"What happened?" Simon asked.

"Well, you know a few months ago when his daughter Izzie got kidnapped?"

Simon nodded. "Yeah, Cherry called and told me."

"Well, after they got her back, he went back to Lisa," Jimmi continued.

"Izzie's mum..." Simon interrupted and Jimmi nodded.

"But a few weeks ago they had a big fight and they broke up again."

"Ahh."

"Yeah, and you know he wants to get back with Zara, but after he dumped her for Lisa, she's barely spoken to him. I don't think she'll ever trust him again," Cherry added.

"How do you know he wants to get back with Zara?" Simon asked. Cherry gave him a look.

"Oh, come on, of course he does. Personally, I think the fact he wasn't getting over leaving Zara is why he and Lisa broke up again," she said smugly.

"Actually, I think Cherry's right," Jimmi agreed. "After he'd been with Lisa couple weeks, he started following Zara around with his eyes. He won't admit it though."

"I don't think Daniel would ever admit to having proper feelings," Simon commented.

They all stopped talking when they heard the shower turn off. Cherry took a breath and looked at Simon.

"So, you still love it here then, no plans to move back to Letherbridge?"

"None whatsoever. I like having my own place like this. I do miss you, though."

"I miss you, too. You're my best mate," Cherry grinned. "We'll just have to try to visit lots more, yeah?"

She turned to Jimmi. "Now you, go and get a shower and then Simon and I can talk about you behind your back," she teased, her blue eyes twinkling. Jimmi rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Fine, fine, I'll go," he mumbled and went to grab clean clothes. He nodded at Daniel as Daniel came out of the bathroom and then went in himself to get ready.

/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\

Molly sat at the breakfast table with Sam next to her. He had calmed at least and was looking around with those big blue eyes. Well, as much as he could look with being just over a week old. She munched her cereal blandly and looked at her mum with raised eyebrows as Alex danced to the music on the radio. Not proper dancing, the occasional wiggle and twirl as she moved around the kitchen.

"Mum? We are going to Rowan's later right?"

Alex turned and nodded. "I should think so. I don't know what time Gene's finishing though. New Year is always hectic. It might end up just me, you and Sam," she shrugged.

Molly nodded and looked at her phone again.

"I intend 2. Expect me over there a lot LOL"

\/\/\\/\/\\

Whitney munched her toast and read Molly's text.

"Good. P and F no fun to talk to. *sigh*"

Molly chuckled.

\/\/\\/\/\\

"Good 2 feel luved :D"

/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\

Jack barely managed to choke down the sandwich.

Alyssa wasn't coming down. He sighed. Had he really thought she would come running down the stairs after him and throw herself into his arms? He was a fool.

Davina had done it again. His world was falling apart again, because of her.

He'd been alone over two years before he met Alyssa. He dropped the sandwich to the plate and scrubbed at his face with his hands. Rowan had a spare room, he imagined Alyssa would move in with her. He'd be stuck in this huge house alone. He wasn't sure if Gerald would understand or not. The man would probably hate him. He'd likely lose Rowan as a friend too, some obscure sisterhood thing. He would miss that, too. The tiny American treated him like the brother she'd never had and he enjoyed the idea of having a sort of family. All gone now.

He sniffed and scrubbed at his face and ran his fingers back through his hair before lashing out. His hand swatted at the plate and he watched it fly across the room and hit the wall with the satisfying sound of breaking crockery. He rummaged in the laundry basket and got a pair of jeans and a t-shirt out before going upstairs and using the bathroom in the hall to take a shower. He dressed, bundled into his coat and left the house, slamming the door behind him.

He walked to the park at the center of the Square, sat down and lit up a cigarette and smoked, his posture defeated, his expression desolate.

/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\

JT smiled at Peggy as she walked in and he fixed her a mug of tea.

"Oh, thanks darlin'," Peggy said.

"Sure," he replied and turned back to the stove. "Are you hungry?"

"The bacon smells good, that and some toast would be nice," she replied and opened the newspaper.

"Did you and Roxy have fun last night on the town?"

"That depends entirely on your definition of fun," he muttered, his tone laced with disgust. Peggy looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"She got so completely drunk, I've never seen the like before. It was horrifying to watch. I ceased to exist for her after awhile and the way she was dancing," he shook his head. "It was like she was someone I didn't know," he said helplessly and put a plate of food in front of Peggy before sitting down. He folded his arms on the table and leaned on them with a sigh.

"I'm not a prude, but she was..." he broke off and Peggy looked at him with sympathy.

"I don't think she meant it darlin'," Peggy said to him softly.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," he argued, his tone mirroring his disappointment. "I think I'm keeping her from who she wants to be. She was out of control last night, I've never, I don't know how to deal with something like that. So, we'll have breakfast and I'll clean up and then I'll pack my things and go back to the restaurant. Aunt Rowan'll let me have my room back."

"JT, no..." Peggy began and put a hand on his.

"I have to, I have to get some space. I'm gonna miss you and Punkin though, and Roxy."

Peggy took another bite of her food and chewed contemplatively as she watched JT. She felt bad for him but she didn't know how to fix it. Roxy could be wild, Peggy knew that. She'd thought, however, that the girl had grown up. She clearly hadn't.

JT sat and sipped his coffee, wishing last night had never happened.

JT slowly and quietly began gathering up his things and packing them in a carry-all bag. He'd made sure to put Amy in the kitchen with Peggy to have breakfast so she wouldn't cry or anything. He was going to miss her. He would miss Roxy, too. She was so unlike any other girl he'd ever met. But last night, he wasn't sure if he could handle being with someone who was so willing to do so much damage to themselves.

If she could have just seen herself. He finished stuffing his clothes and things in the bag and then went to the front room to get his fiddle. He kept it on a high shelf in there so Amy couldn't get hold of and damage the instrument. He could see it was quality and he was sure it had set Rowan back a pretty penny. He would not be so ungrateful to leave it where it would get easily broken.

/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\

Ray got dressed and called goodbye to Ronnie. He was running late. His keys were on the fridge, he got them quickly and grabbed his helmet as he left the flat. He got his bike out and climbed onto it, glad that they had an indoor area to keep it in: Otherwise it would be covered in frost. He revved it a few times then drove off in the direction of Rowan's restaurant. He hadn't really been in the same room as her since, well. He shook the thought from his head as he drove and concentrated on what he was doing.

Ray pulled up outside the restaurant and parked his bike next to the curb and took his helmet off too, he held it under his arm as he went to the door and rang the buzzer.

/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan toweled herself dry and looked at her hair in the mirror. It was so different, but she liked it. She'd had it trimmed a bit but left it below her shoulders and Kim had added blond and coppery streaks to it that set her normal mousy color off and made it look good. She brushed her teeth and decided it was time to put on some coffee when she heard the buzzer.

She glanced at the kitchen clock. Too early for anybody. She grabbed up her phone-dead. She rolled her eyes and hurriedly put it on the charger before grabbing her dressing gown and wrapping it around herself and bounding downstairs.

Her eyebrows went up when she saw Ray standing there and hurriedly opened the door.

"Hi, come in, come in," she said and waved him in and closed the door quickly behind him and locked it, dropping the keys in her pocket. She wrapped her arms around herself against the chill that had followed him inside.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him.

Ray stepped inside and looked at her. Her hair was wet and looked different. Shorter. He hadn't been with them last night so hadn't seen anyone. He supposed she had taken advantage of the offer on at the Salon and got it done. He had seen enough flyers and leaflets around. A gobby woman had come along and insisted that Adam display a load on the counter at the station. Poor guy had been so intimidated that he had agreed. Ray smiled inwardly at the memory then turned his mind to the reason that he was here.

"Nothing's wrong, Chris just asked if I could pick up some clothes for him. And also to tell you that he doesn't know when he's going to get home. Sounded like chaos over the phone," he shrugged.

"Ah," Rowan smiled and nodded. "Come on up, then. I got smart and got out of the pub before all hell broke loose," she remarked with a chuckle as she led him up the stairs to the flat. "I don't even want to think about what the station might be like. Glad he didn't ask me to bring him clothes."

She moved past the kitchen towards the bedroom and remembered something. "Coffee," she blurted and whipped around to go back to the kitchen and turn on the coffee maker and ran right into Ray. She hadn't realized he was quite so close behind her. She put a hand on his chest and looked up apologetically.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't think you'd be that close behind me," she said and made a noise resembling a chuckle. A slight shiver went through her and she knew she should remove her hand, but memories of the night they'd been together were flooding her mind.

Ray found himself practically chest to face with Rowan. He closed his eyes, he was so close that he could smell her shampoo. His breathing was shaky as he blindly reached out and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her to him. She felt the same as she had that night. His eyes opened and traced down her face and before he could stop himself, his mouth was on hers. His other hand traced up her side and he cupped her face, making her tilt her head until he found the perfect angle. He hadn't kissed Ronnie like this since she had moved rooms, she didn't seem to want to be around him anymore, he knew that that was her hormones in turmoil, but one minute she was all over him and couldn't keep her hands to herself and the next she went all cold on him. He was confused.

Rowan melted against him. She knew she should stop him, but she wanted him so much. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She knew it meant her dressing gown had falling open, but she didn't care. She grabbed his coat and shoved it off his shoulders and broke off the kiss long enough to lean back and slip the dressing gown from her shoulders. She looked up at him, her breath coming fast and searched his gaze.

She wanted him to ravage her, command her, like he had before. She would willingly do anything he asked.

"Anything you want," she whispered, unaware she'd even spoken the words aloud.

Ray drew in a sharp breath as she dropped the material that covered her. He gazed at her, drawing his eyes all the way up to her face. He really shouldn't do this, not again, the first time he shouldn't have done it. But the first time Chris and Rowan were arguing and he had believed that Ronnie had thrown him out for good. This time they were both happy with their respective partners. So why did he want her so badly? Lust ignited his gaze and he drew her to him tightly as he lifted her and kissed her, he pushed one of her legs around his waist and groaned into her mouth at the friction that it had caused before making her other leg follow suit.

Rowan flung her arms tightly around his neck and pulled herself up and she locked her legs around him. She could feel him pressing against her naked flesh through his trousers and mewled with desire.

Ray pressed her against the nearest wall and attacked her neck with his lips. She made him hungry, but not for food. He growled against her skin and one hand left her body and flew to his trouser buckle and undid it as quickly as he could. His trousers dropped to his ankles and his mouth moved back to hers. He needed her, so badly.

Rowan closed her eyes and sighed at the feel of his lips on her neck. She kept one arm around his shoulders as her other hand slid into his hair. Her breath came faster as he moved to get his trousers off.

"Rowan, tell me to stop and I will," he breathed against her lips. He didn't want her to say no, but if she didn't want this then she had the choice.

She opened her eyes and met his gaze at his question. She almost screamed in frustration, but stopped herself. She barely shook her head. She forcibly evened out her ragged breathing and focused her gaze intently on his and she moved her hands to either side of his face, running her fingers up into his hair. If he could feel, he would know. She took a deep breath, leaned her head back, closed her eyes and let herself go, enfolding him in her aura and letting the want/need/lust she had for him infuse it.

She shivered and opened her eyes. She fixed her eyes on his again and brought her face close.

"I never... want.. you... to... stop," she whispered, enunciating clearly and precisely and kissed him.

Ray suddenly felt his every nerve alight with an unyielding need for the woman wrapped around him. His body ached for hers and he let out a loud, strangled groan. He pushed his body into hers as close as he could. It wasn't enough. He needed her. He needed her now! He pressed against her enough so that she wouldn't fall as he let go with his hands and pushed his boxers to join his trousers on the floor. The second they were down his hands went back to her body and held her up as he kissed her furiously. Not enough, nowhere near enough.

"Can't stop," he muttered. "Can't ever stop," he thrust wildly into her and fastened his lips to hers as he moved.

Rowan's eyes went wide at his reaction and his muttered words but his over-fueled lust washed over her and her mind went blank. She cried out as he thrust into her and held him tight, kissing him back desperately.

His forcefulness and near savagery brought new levels to the pleasure. She wanted to be taken, he took her. He commanded her and she surrendered completely. She was his and it was glorious.

The last time she'd been held against a wall had been horrifying, this was far from it.

She dug her fingers into his shoulders and wished she had nails to rake down his back. She couldn't get enough.

Ray moved at a frenzied pace, a mixture of strangled groans, growls and mutterings escaped him as he pounded into her relentlessly. She was soft and pliable in his arms, even pressed up against the hard wall she responded to his every move. Even the small, imperceptible ones. She was truly incredible and his mind was clouded with the burning need that fuelled him. His mouth finished its onslaught on hers and trailed long, lingering kisses along her jawline and neck as he moaned into her skin.

Rowan matched his pace. He knew what she wanted, what she needed and he gave it to her. He kissed her exactly how she wanted to be kissed, he touched her where and how she liked to be touched and the sounds he made...oh, she loved hearing them. They thrilled her.

She'd tried many times but never achieved this with Chris. She'd never been able to mesh with him like this. Not like this. Ever.

She gave back all she was given. She shifted with him, keeping the rhythm, her fingers unerringly finding all the sensitive spots on his shoulders, neck, his chest where he liked to be touched. She knew others, but their position meant she couldn't reach. She remembered something else and began to rhythmically clench him as he moved inside her. Her breathing went ragged as it also brought wonderful new levels to her pleasure.

As his lips moved to her neck she closed her eyes and leaned her head back and let out a long, low moan.

She began to kiss his neck and shoulder, grazing the flesh a bit with her teeth and then caressing with her tongue, finding the spots he liked and using teeth, tongue and lips where and how he liked.

Her body suddenly convulsed as she came and she cried out. It didn't stop. Again and again, she was overwhelmed. She was drowning.

"Yes!" she shrieked, and the shriek became his name.

Ray pressed her harder against the wall and bellowed her name. She was incredible. He had never met anyone like her. He loved Ronnie so much he felt he would burst with what he felt for her. But this lust, this need that he had for Rowan was crippling. She knew exactly what to do, how to do it, and where. She did what he wanted before he could voice it and sent him crazy.

His head slipped to rest on her shoulder as he held her up and he gasped for air as he planted small kisses on her neck as his breathing rate lessened and went back to normal.

"Rowan," he mumbled as he pulled his head off her and looked into her eyes. "We need to stop this," he told her, but his heart wasn't in his words. He knew that they had to stop, that it was wrong and that so many people would get hurt if anyone found out. Ronnie was pregnant with his kid! But this aching want for Rowan was overwhelming.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

JT finally got all his things together and sat down in the kitchen to pull on his boots.

"I'll see you later, Peggy," he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek. He kissed Amy then.

"See you later, Punkin," he told her and left.

He walked slowly to the restaurant, sadness in every line of his body. He quietly unlocked the side door and went inside. He opened the door to the stairs leading up to the flat and froze. He stifled a laugh and shook his head. Rowan and Chris obviously taking advantage of free run of the flat. That would soon change.

He quietly went to the top of the stairs and peered through the half-open flat door.

His eyes went wide and he ducked back behind the door. He shook his head. That had to be wrong. He peered back around the door. No, that was Rowan and that was Ray! Not Chris…Ray! He felt like the rug had just been pulled out from under him and he reeled and leaned back against the wall.

What had been going on around here while he'd been at the pub? He thought Chris and Rowan's problems had been fixed. Somewhere, something had gone wrong.

He scrubbed his face with his hands. He could feel the intensity of it even here and moved back down the stairs. He put his bag down and sat on the bench by the bathrooms and waited. He was NOT going to walk into the middle of that, no way, no how.

He heard Rowan begin to scream and covered his ears and got up and quietly closed the door at the bottom of the stairs to muffle it.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\\/\\

Rowan gasped for air and held him tight, her eyes squeezed shut. She loved Chris, but she wanted Ray so desperately. She could feel his lust for her and it made her shake. He fulfilled wants and needs she couldn't even admit to and it left her wanting more. And she had meshed with him and it had been beautiful and more than she'd ever imagined.

She met his gaze. He was right, she knew he was.

"I know," she said, her voice barely a whisper. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. "I want you so much," she admitted, her voice still barely audible. She lifted her head and met his eyes again and kissed him softly.

"Need to sit," she added and gestured towards the bedroom. When he lowered her to the floor, she picked up her discarded dressing gown and carried it with her as she went into the bedroom. She waited for him to pull up his trousers and follow her and closed the door behind him. She knew in the bright sunlight that the fine traceries of scars were visible, but for some reason, she didn't mind. She reached into the wardrobe and grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt out for Chris and tossed them on the bed. She sighed and turned to face Ray.

Ray watched her closely as she dug around for clothes for Chris. If it was anyone but Chris' wife. No, he still wouldn't cheat on Ronnie. But he had. He was so confused. He was all over the place and couldn't shake the desire he felt when he looked at her. He swallowed and fixed his gaze at the close on the bed rather than her. He cleared his throat and looked up at her.

"Have you got a bag or something?" he asked her.

Rowan nodded. She stood and pulled her dressing gown around herself tight and then pulled a canvas bag out from under the bed. She folded the clothes and put them in the bag.

"I know you have to go, but…" Rowan trailed off. She met his gaze. "I want to see you again. I know we shouldn't but Ray, I….I can't help it. I hear your body and I feel you and what you want and you hear me and I can share with you and we mesh and it's so beautiful I can't…." she began, her tone half desperate in her need to make him understand. "I love Chris, I do, but I don't have this with him. I've tried. He's afraid he'll scare me or hurt me or something, I don't know for sure, but it doesn't work. But you, you take so I give, you….you…command, you dominate and I surrender and….." she continued, her tone one of awe before she broke off.

She looked at her hands in her lap a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. She made sure she was closed off tightly; she didn't want to influence him at all and he had turned out to be very sensitive, so she blocked herself from him completely. She stood up and faced him. She stepped between his legs and put her hands on his face and kissed him, slow and gentle.

"One more night, us, together, please. I'll show you everything and it will be wonderful," she begged. She gazed into his eyes and felt regret wash over her. She wished she'd met him first, or that she'd known what was possible when she'd first shaken his hand. She could have loved him and he could have loved her and it would have been amazing. She swallowed hard and pushed her regret and guilt aside and waited for his answer.

Ray was working out how to tell her no when her mouth was on his. It was gentle, he felt himself relax, but didn't dare let himself touch her. They shouldn't have even started this. He shouldn't have started this. Both times it had been him that kissed her first. His fault.

His hands came around and held her arms gently and made her take a step back. He shut his eyes and tried to think, his hands making her keep her distance from him just for the moment.

He let out a shaky sigh as he felt his resolve dripping steadily away. He brought his gaze to hers and looked at her. "Ronnie's pregnant, Ro. I shouldn't have kissed you that first time. I..." he shook his head. "I couldn't help it. We can't let this spiral out of control. It's not fair on Ronnie, or Chris," he shut his eyes tightly for a moment then looked back at her. "You're married to my best mate, Rowan! I can't..." he stopped once more and looked at the wall. "I ache, Ro, physically ache for you," he confessed, his voice shaky and quiet. "But we can't do this, if someone found out," he let go of her arms and pulled her against his chest. "I love Ronnie so much, Rowan. I've never felt for anyone the way I feel for her. I didn't think I could. I never understood how people could find themselves so absorbed in another person until I met her. But then you... You ignite something in me, something I can't control, Ro," he buried his nose in her hair on the top of her head and breathed her in. "I'm so confused," he admitted softly.

"I know," she said. "I know she's pregnant and I know what you mean. I was alone for so long after Brian, I couldn't...I couldn't feel for anyone. You've seen my body now; it's not easy to let people look. You are the fifth man I have ever been with," she confessed. "And I honestly never thought I could want anyone besides Chris. But I was so wrong. You're in my head and I can't get you out."

She leaned against him and sniffed, willing the tears not to come. "I'm confused, too," she breathed. "You should go; you're going to be late enough as it is. I have three more nights alone; I want to spend one of them with you. I want to teach you and then you can have this with Ronnie and I'll have a wonderful memory. No matter what, though, I love you as a friend and you will always be special to me."

Ray squeezed her with a sigh and then let her go and opened his eyes. "I should really say no. I know that we shouldn't, that it's wrong, that..." he broke off and sighed. "But I know I will end up saying yes. That I'll want you," he admitted. "So yes, for now," he said softly then cupped her cheek. "I'm not going to lie to you, Rowan, I'm holding out a hope that I'll change my mind, that I'll find something to keep me away," he stroked her cheek gently. "But at the back of my mind I know that it won't happen," he leant down and pressed a final kiss to her lips then took a big step back and let her go.

"I don't know what I'm hoping for. One second I hope you say no and the next, I can't wait to see you again," she admitted softly.

"I'm late," he said quietly.

She led him downstairs and handed him the canvas bag of clothes and unlocked the door for him.

"Text me and let me know," she barely whispered and watched him go. She turned from the door after she locked it and let the tears fall. She didn't know what to do, but she knew she had to see him, be with him, one last time. Everything in her cried out for it. She walked back to the stairs and opened the men's room door.

"You can come out now, JT."

She let the door close and walked back upstairs. JT grabbed his things and followed her.

"What are you doing with him?"

"It just happened. I can't control it. When Chris didn't want me, something broke inside me. I want him, JT and I need him, so keep your nose out of it. We're going to stop and no one need be any the wiser. You will make yourself scarce when that happens, you hear?"

JT nodded. He'd intended to berate her for her behavior, but the force behind her conviction and the look on her face stopped her and he followed meekly behind her. His lips effectively sealed.

Ray slung the bag over his shoulder and left the restaurant. He didn't look back as he shoved his helmet onto his head and the bike roared into action. He pushed all thoughts of Rowan and Ronnie from his head as he drove, intent on focusing on work.

He drew up outside the station and took his helmet off his head and freed the bag from the bike. He carried the helmet under one arm and the bag in the other. He dropped the bag in front of Chris with a grin and a nod then went to his desk and sat down to get started.


	11. Chapter 11

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 11**

Alyssa froze as she heard a plate smash. She listened curiously, half-dressed, she shuffled to the door and pressed her ear against it. Footsteps, coming upstairs, then the shower. She didn't move as she listened and only relaxed once the front door slammed, hard. He was angry, too. Alyssa continued getting dressed and used her hair dryer unenthusiastically to dry her hair.

Alyssa looked at herself in the mirror. The winter clothes covered up most of the bruises that she had got. She had found some lovely red scratches on her arms and a dark bruise on her hip. Davina had been viscous, not that Alyssa could remember much of the fight. She felt her blood boil at the mere thought of her name. She bit her lip. What if Jack did go back to Davina? What would she do? Beg a room off Rowan until she found somewhere? Probably. She felt the tears threatening at the thought of Jack leaving her, especially for that bitch. She loved him so much. But she was so angry. At Davina, at Jack and at herself. She was pushing him away, she knew she was, but there was nothing she could do. Until she calmed down she wouldn't be able to even begin to sort this out. If she tried while she was still angry then she would only make it worse.

Alyssa went downstairs and looked out onto the street from the front window. She could see him. Just. He hadn't gone far. The park. To stew no doubt. She moved away from the window with a sigh and sat down on the sofa and pulled her folder full of appointments towards her. She would lose herself in work for a bit. Something else to dwell on.

/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Whitney chuckled at Molly's text.

"P gone 2 chippy so not that much love LOL"

She opened her laptop and began goofing off on the internet. The paracetamol had finally started to work on her headache. She wondered if Fatboy was coming down. He seemed a bit anti-social this morning. Hadn't even said thank you for the tea. She shrugged and got up to put her empty plate in the sink and make herself another cup.

/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Molly chuckled.

":P"

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\

Bradley came downstairs and nodded at his father and the blond that had stayed with his father last night. Bradley couldn't be bothered to learn her name, he didn't care. He wanted to know why Ffion hadn't gone out last night. Janine had promised Ffion would be there.

He made himself a cup of tea and resolved to call Ffion later. Maybe this time she would answer.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\

Gerald rolled off Ffion and smiled warmly at her. His gaze drifted to the clock and he sighed, he would have to leave her soon. He, Jack and Alyssa had arranged to go to whatever Rowan was doing at the restaurant. He hadn't been paying attention at the time it was discussed. He was too absorbed in his plans for New Year. He pressed his lips to the top of her head and shifted his legs out of bed. He grabbed his trousers off the floor and pushed his legs into them, then turned to look at her again. She was very pretty, he admitted to himself as he smiled at her.

"I have to go," he said as he leant down and picked his shirt off the floor and slipped his arms into it, but left it open as he bent over the bed and cupped the back of her head as he brought his lips back to hers and kissed her once more. "We are going to do this again," he said as he broke the kiss and pulled away. He straightened up and started on the buttons of his shirt. Once he had dressed himself he looked back at her still lying on the bed, covered in just a sheet. He sat down next to her and pulled her to him for another kiss. "I promise we will do this again," he told her sincerely and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you later."

Ffion nodded. "I look forward to it," she purred and kissed him back. "Later."

She watched him go and sighed. Oh, that had been amazing. She smiled and climbed from the bed and stretched. She went to the window to watch him walk away and then turned to get dressed.

She ran her brush through her hair and bounded downstairs and across the Square toward home.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gerald stood up and made sure he had all of his things then left her alone in the room. He had paid for the room when he had got there the previous day and explained to the man at the desk that the room would be free as soon as his daughter vacated it, she was taking her time getting dressed. He didn't like calling Ffion his daughter, but given the massive age gap it sounded much more acceptable than saying his girlfriend or wife. He left the hotel without a second thought and strolled through the park on his way back to the house. He narrowed his eyes as he spotted Jack and made a split decision. He sat himself down on the bench next to his future son-in-law and pulled out his cigarettes.

"Why the long face?"

Jack looked at Gerald. "Long story," Jack said with a sigh. "But basically, Alyssa is mad at me."

He shook his head and lit up another cigarette.

"How was your New Year? Mine isn't starting out terribly great."

Gerald nodded.

"Fine, ended up on the couch at Patrick's, that man can drink rum for England," he chuckled. He wasn't going to tell Jack that he spent the night in the B&B with Ffion.

He leant back and looked at Jack. He didn't look so good, he frowned.

"What happened this time? It's not like you're in a rush to go in and if Alyssa is angry then I'm not going in yet either, so you might as well spill," he told Jack.

"Glad your evening was good. Ours started out okay. We went to the party at the Vic. This woman I was engaged to years ago showed up with Max Branning. Apparently her car broke down nearby and she bought a new one and that's how she met Max and ended up in the area. Freak chance. We were extremely drunk. I went to the toilet and Davina ambushed me. Said she wanted me back, grabbed me and kissed me. I pushed her away, called her names I can't remember exactly what I said, but let her know I didn't want her back. Alyssa, it turns out, was right behind me."

He stopped and took a long drag from his cigarette. "The fight was something else, really. Alyssa can throw a mean punch. I'm not sure why, but she's holding me at fault. I didn't do anything wrong. I rejected Davina, she saw that. I've apologized, what more does she want from me?"

Gerald sighed and closed his eyes. It seemed all of his daughter's punch-ups with her brother had turned out useful after all. He knew how she was when she was fighting if she fought like she did when she was younger. Poor Jack.

"You've just got to let her calm down," he advised. "She's vented her anger physically at your ex-fiancé, but it's still there. Like I've said, Alyssa's temper is a lot like her mother's, it's one of the only traits they share," he sighed. "She's just got to work it out of her system," he patted Jack's shoulder. "She'll come round, you've just got to ride it out," he spoke from experience, Caroline had got mad at him loads of times. He just waited for her to get it out of her system and then it would be back to normal. Alyssa wasn't as volatile as her mother, she wasn't as cold, either. He had seen the affectionate way that she looked at Jack, the way he often wished that Caroline would look at him. She loved the man a great deal, he didn't think it would take Alyssa as long as Caroline to sort herself out.

"I know, I know, but it really makes me angry that she's taking this out on me. I didn't ask Davina to come here. I could live my life quite happily not seeing that woman ever again. This is so infuriating. She's acting like a spoiled child," he lifted his head and stood up.

"I'm a Head, I know how to deal with spoiled children," he said, his tone low and half-menacing. "Excuse me."

He stood up and strode back across the Square.

Gerald watched Jack go in silence. He shrugged, not his problem. They had to sort it out themselves. He continued to smoke.

Jack strode back to the house and went inside, letting the door slam behind him. He stalked upstairs and looked at Alyssa briefly before leaning over and seizing her in his hands and pulling her from the bed. He stood her in front of him and looked at her a moment before plastering his lips to hers. He wrapped his arms around her and very slightly leaned her back before he finally let her go.

He huffed out a breath.

"You will NOT get rid of me that easily. I don't accept this behavior from you, Lyss. It's gone far enough. If you want me to leave you for Davina, well, I'm sorry, it's not going to happen. I love you, and you will stop freezing me out and tell me you love me back, right now," he demanded.

Alyssa was left breathless by his kiss. She stumbled backwards once he let her go and fixed her eyes on him. That kiss had melted away the anger that had remained and she was now feeling more than a little weak at the knees. His commanding tone was doing more to her than he could imagine. She took 3 steps forward until she was right up against him and slid her hand up his chest, up his neck and cupped his cheek as she pressed her lips to his fiercely. Her arms snaked over his shoulders and into his hair as she kissed him with a vengeance. She broke the kiss and stared into his eyes.

"I. Love. You," she told him and delivered another kiss. "And you are going nowhere!" she added as she hugged her body close to his tightly.

Jack looked down at her and grabbed two handfuls of her top and tore the thin material off her then ripped at her bra. He fastened his lips on hers and grabbed her roughly to him. He held her tight and used his other hand to unfasten her jeans and begin pushing them down. He turned then and shoved her down onto the bed and grabbed her jeans and yanked them off. He tore open his shirt and quickly dropped his trousers before dropping onto her and holding her down.

He put his hand on her face, near her jaw, holding her roughly as he met her green gaze with his blue.

"This is it, I'm not going anywhere," he informed her in no uncertain terms and tore away her knickers before plunging into her.

Alyssa cried out and arched into him wildly. He was holding one of her arms down so she curled her hand into a fist, and used her free one to pull his head down and met his lips as she kissed him frantically. Her legs locked around him as she bucked beneath him, crying out his name desperately. Her hand skimmed down his back and balled into the material of his shirt, she pulled at it forcefully until it tore and she threw it away with uninhibited abandon.

Jack gave her all she wanted and more. He drove wildly into her, and nearly smiled when she tore his already much-abused shirt from his back. He kissed her roughly, possessively and made her his.

Her name burst from his lips as he shuddered above her. He pressed into her hard and his body stilled before he half-collapsed on top of her, his breathing ragged and his head dizzy.

Alyssa screamed his name as she hit her climax. She hadn't seen this side of him before, certainly not towards her. It thrilled her as much as it scared her. Her breathing was shallow and quick as she shut her eyes and enjoyed the sensations until they passed. She took advantage of his lax state to slip her arm out of his grasp and hug him around the middle tightly as she buried her face into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she applied pressure to his back and pulled him down so he was lying on top of her rather than hovering above.

"So you should be," he remarked. He brushed her hair back from her face. "Don't do that to me again, please," he told her, his tone harder than he'd intended. He stroked her face again and kissed her softly before rolling to his back and pulling her close. He held her tight as his eyes closed and he drifted off.

Alyssa slid her arm over his middle and hugged herself to him. She pressed a kiss to his chest and let her lips linger there as he slept. She had never seen him be so aggressive. Not like that. She shivered and hugged herself even closer to him. He had never been like that before, she would have been more scared if she hadn't wanted him so much. But she had been scared. She reached behind her and pulled a handful of duvet until it covered her. Even if she wanted to get up she couldn't: He was holding her too tightly.

Her head lifted off his chest and she looked at the clock. They had a couple of hours before they were due at Rowan's. She would wake him up then. Her head went back to his chest and she let herself be lulled by his steady breathing.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Fatboy finally made his way downstairs, he had checked his website after getting dressed and had logged onto Facebook. Not much, just drunken, hungover grumblings from most of the people that he knew. He nodded at Whitney as he got himself food and again felt that niggling feeling in the back of his head. He was sure something had happened last night. He wouldn't ask her though. It would come.

"Morning, Whit," he grinned at her as he sat himself down opposite her.

"Hey, Fats," Whitney said. "How's your hangover? Mine's fading. But I tell you I am never drinking like that again!" she joked.

Fatboy grinned at her.

"Took some pills," he grinned. "It's sound," he added as he toyed with his cereal, the memory was coming back slowly, but getting there, he could remember Whitney's back and someone's arms around her waist, so she was kissing someone? Big deal! Why was that so important? Fatboy shut his eyes and ran it through his head once more now he knew that she was kissing someone, a flash of blonde? The angle changed. Fatboy's eyes shot open and he gaped at Whitney! NO WAY!

Whitney looked up from her laptop and took in Fatboy's face.

"What?" she asked, and felt a bit afraid. She'd never seen a look like that on his face before.

Fatboy suddenly became aware of what he was doing and dropped his eyes back to his cereal and shook his head.

"Stuff from last night, innit," he said grinning at her in his usual jokey way. No way was he letting her know that he knew. He needed to figure this one out. Poor Molly.

Whitney nodded.

"Oh right, yeah. I got the same problem," she smiled at him and turned her attention back to her laptop.

Fatboy nodded his agreement and stood with his empty bowl. He put it into the sink and wiped his hands on a towel then grabbed his jacket.

"S'laters baby girl," he grinned as he left the house. Whitney looked up and watched him go. He was acting funny. Even for Fatboy.

Once outside Fatboy frowned. Clearly Molly didn't know, that wasn't fair. Her boyfriend and her best mate. He had to tell her, he hated feeling guilty and would if he kept this to himself. Poor Molly.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Janine saw Ffion walking home and frowned. Where had SHE been all night? They were supposed to go out last night. How could she cultivate this girl and make her a mate if they didn't go out together and do things mates did. And she'd thought there was something growing between Ffion and Bradley. She was sure of it! But Bradley had stormed off to the pub when he found out Ffion wasn't going.

Janine was furious! Her plan would never work if she couldn't get Ffion to cooperate. She growled low in her throat and went home.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Fatboy got out his phone and texted Molly. He would have to tell her, the guilt of knowing would eat him up if he didn't.

"U goin 2 restaurant?" he fiddled with his phone impatiently and waited for her reply.

Molly looked down at her phone as it went off. She knew she shouldn't have left this essay as late as she had but she had been distracted since Alex had gone into hospital. She looked down at her phone and frowned. Fatboy was texting her?

"Yer. Y?"

Fatboy jumped as his phone went off and he hastily looked down at the text.

"Got sum stuff 2 say"

Molly frowned at the reply. Was he drunk still? She was intrigued at any rate.

"Ok. C u ther" she put her phone down and looked back down at the essay determined to finish it before they left. She sighed and looked up at Sam's gurgling. He was in a good mood today.

"Mum?"

Alex looked up from the washing machine, one of Gene's jumpers held in her hand.

"What?"

Molly chewed her lip and then shook her head. "Doesn't matter," she answered and looked back down at the page in front of her.

Alex frowned at Molly curiously then shook her head. Molly would tell her if it was important. She pulled a face at Sam and went back to doing the washing.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alex dropped Molly off at the café. She had said that she was meeting Fatboy there first and that she would probably walk to the restaurant later. She had said no more than that and all the time she had a curious expression on her face.

Molly watched Alex drive off and went into the café. She smiled at Jane and got herself a mug of tea before looking around. The place was filling up slowly. People sitting and eating. She spotted Fatboy near the back of the café and sat down opposite him.

"Heya, Fats," she grinned. "What's up?" she asked curiously and took a sip of her tea.

Fatboy had tracked Molly with his eyes as she had come into the café. She looked so happy. He was about to crush that happiness. He felt so bad for her. He looked up at her as she sat down and sighed morosely.

Molly frowned at the expression on his face. Something was clearly wrong. He wasn't the usual jokey, happy Fatboy. The friend that sat before her now had something weighing him down.

"Whats wrong?" she asked softly.

Fatboy pondered his words for a moment then shook his head as he looked at her.

"Molls, I got summit to tell ya. You ain't gonna like it," he said, his voice had none of it's usual vigor, he was changing his person slowly from Fatboy into Arthur. It made it easier.

Molly frowned at him. He never called her Molls, always baby girl or some other term he used. Rarely Molly or Molls. She nodded at him slowly. "What?" she asked him.

"Bout Peter."

Molly nodded slowly again and cupped her mug. She suddenly felt a little cold.

"And Whitney," he continued and looked at her expectantly.

Molly felt restless. She wished he would just say it. Her mind was coming up with ideas about what could be so bad that involved her boyfriend and her best mate. She was drawing a blank. "Fats just spit it out," she sighed.

Fatboy took a deep breath. "I saw it last night..."

"You're using proper English," Molly cut in. Fatboy smiled weakly. "I'm not Fatboy all the time Molly. I can be Arthur," his smile faded. "I don't think they're gonna tell you. But I think you should know, because it's not fair if you don't."

"Fats, please. Just tell whatever it is you're trying to tell me. You're freaking me out a bit," she admitted nervously as she squeezed her mug.

"Afteryouleftisawthemkissing," he blurted out.

Molly stared at him blankly. She prayed that wasn't what she thought he had said. Her knuckles turned White as her grip on her mug grew tighter still. "Say that again. But slowly," she choked out.

"I saw Whitney and Peter kissing last night after you'd left."

Molly sat still, her grip on her mug tighter than she thought possible. She could feel the hot china burning her hands but couldn't make them move. Whitney and Peter? Her best friend and her boyfriend? Her mouth quivered slightly. And they were livid together. All the time now. Her tummy turned over.

Fatboy switched seats so he was on the same side of the table as Molly and slipped his hands under hers and prised them off the mug before she hurt herself. He pulled her towards him gently and put his arms around her in a hug. She was still. Stock still. Like a statue.

"Molly?"

Molly swallowed and looked at him. She didn't say anything but stood up and walked out of the café before she fell apart. She hated people seeing her cry. She held the tears in until she was halfway home, and on an empty street and let them fall silently as she walked home.

Fatboy watched Molly get up and leave. He felt so bad for telling her and making her hurt. But he would feel worse knowing that she didn't know. Seeing her happy around the pair of them while they hid their guilty secret

Gene gripped the newspaper so hard he nearly tore it, but he kept it in place. He didn't want Molly to see him sitting here and know that he had overheard. He growled inwardly. He was going to hurt Peter Beale, that much was certain.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\

Gene saw Fatboy leave finally and put the paper down. He drained his tea and restrained himself from slamming the cup down hard enough to break it. That would never do. No reason to take Peter's behavior out on Jane. It wasn't her fault. It was the father who had gone off and left young kids to do as they pleased.

And he'd liked Whitney! It was a party, there had clearly been drinking by others going on. He nodded to himself. Perhaps it wasn't Whitney's fault. Perhaps Peter had taken advantage. Trying it on with another girl because he couldn't get... he drew in a sharp breath and let it out slowly and stood up. He put the paper back in the rack where the papers were kept and headed for the chippy. He was going to have a little talk with Peter Beale. He wasn't even aware that he'd cracked his knuckles.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\

Once everyone was showered and the breakfast mess cleared up, Simon went downstairs to get ready for the two appointments he had that day. Jimmi and Cherry cuddled up on the couch and Daniel rolled his eyes at their behavior and sat in the kitchen and read the paper.

He grew restless after a while, listening to the lovebirds whispering to each other and occasionally kissing. He sighed heavily and went downstairs. He looked at the door to the surgery and decided to go in and have a look.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\

Ronnie woke up when her alarm went off and groaned. She stood up and stretched and made the bed before going to get ready for her day.

Her first stop was Dr. Bond's office. She made herself another cup of tea after she got ready and then headed out.

She smiled and greeted Dr. Bond cheerfully as she sat down in the exam room.

"How are you, Miss Mitchell?" he asked her.

"I'll be better if you call me Ronnie," she said with a chuckle.

"Okay, Ronnie," he said and picked up her bandaged ankle. He inspected it carefully and asked her questions about it. Finally, he nodded.

"Go ahead and try it without the crutches, see how it feels. It looks much better."

"Okay. Like I said, I noticed it doesn't hurt as much," she agreed.

He nodded. "And how about the baby?"

"I have my first full exam tomorrow at the hospital."

He nodded. "Excellent. Anything you want to talk about?"

She pulled a sock and her other boot out of her handbag and pulled them on her now un-bandaged foot.

"Actually, is there anything you can do to help me? I can't stand it when he touches me. What do I do about that? It's horrible. I get overheated when he holds me when we're sleeping, so I started sleeping in the spare room and then I noticed I didn't want him touching me at all."

"It happens sometimes. I'm not sure I can really do anything."

Ronnie sighed and nodded. "I have to wait it out," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm afraid so," he replied.

"Okay, well thank you. I better get to work. Lots of clean up to do at the club after last night," she remarked and stood up. She shook his hand and went into the waiting room to leave.

Daniel walked into Simon's waiting room just as a lovely blond woman was walking out of the exam room.

"Well, hello," Daniel greeted her.

Ronnie looked up and smiled at the sight of the very handsome, dark haired man that had spoken to her. She was sure she was blushing.

"Hi," she replied.

"I'm Dr. Daniel Granger, just visiting here. I used to work with Dr. Bond."

"Oh, really. Well, that's nice," she stammered, uncertain what to say.

"And you are?" he asked. His voice was slightly deep and smooth and his accent sounded a lot like Alyssa's she noticed. He definitely wasn't local.

"Ronnie Mitchell," she said and started to hold out her hand to shake.

"Lovely to meet you." He took her hand and kissed the back of it. She blushed.

"Lovely to meet you, too. Um, I'm sorry, I have to go to work now. They're waiting for me."

"Well, allow me to escort you. A woman as lovely as yourself should never have to walk anywhere alone."

Ronnie looked at him and finally shrugged. She left the doctor's office and he followed after her and insistently took her arm and placed it around his once they were outside.

"I notice you are limping very slightly, allow me to lend you a bit of support."

She smiled at him and he felt his heart stop. Oh, this woman was beautiful. He walked with her slowly across the Square and hoped it would take awhile to get to where she worked. He didn't want to say goodbye.

Ronnie tried not to stare at Daniel, and kept her attention mostly focused ahead of her, on where she was going. He was funny and charming and she didn't mind his arm around her arm or the touch of his hand as he occasionally patted it with his free hand when they chuckled about something together. He was completely unlike Ray, that was certain.

She found herself walking slower, not really wanting to go to the club and clean. She wanted to talk to this wonderfully charming and handsome man some more. They finally reached the door to the club and Ronnie sighed.

"Well, here it is. It was very nice of you to walk me here, thank you, Daniel."

"You are so very welcome, Ronnie," he said warmly and put his hand over hers. "What time do you think you'll be finished?"

"Oh, couple of hours at least," she told him.

"So, say two-ish, yes?"

"I suppose so," she nodded agreeably. Was she flirting with him, really? She needed to stop that. But he was so good looking and well dressed and charming!

"Would you maybe care to join me for a late lunch then?"

"Oh, I can't. I'm going to a late lunch party sort of thing, I'm sorry."

"Ah," he said and looked around before settling his gaze back on her face. "What about a drink after?"

"I'm sorry, I can't," she said.

"How about coming to my room at the B&B then," he leaned close and whispered to her.

She leaned back from him and widened her eyes. "You're not serious," she gasped in shock.

"Quite serious," he said and then cupped her cheek in his hand and kissed her softly. Ronnie closed her eyes and unthinkingly kissed him back. He was a fantastic kisser she had to admit and had responded before she'd even realized.

He slipped his arm around her waist to pull her a bit closer. but she broke off the kiss and stepped backwards.

"I can't. As nice as that was, I just….I can't," she managed to choke out. She swallowed hard and heaved a great breath. She was sorely tempted. That kiss had been potent and she found herself yearning for more.

She sniffed and looked at her feet and nervously shoved her hair back behind her ear. She lifted her head and before she'd realized what she was doing, she took his face in her hands and kissed him, hard and passionately.

Daniel was surprised for a moment then wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back in kind. She was beautiful and felt so soft and warm in his arms. It had been weeks since Daniel had held a woman, kissed a woman, and for him that was a very long time.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Chris thanked Ray for the bag.

"Some drunk got sick all over me, mate," Chris told him. "I cleaned it up best I could but," Chris sighed and ran to the bathroom to change before coming back and starting on his paperwork.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Ray stood up from his desk and rubbed at his arms. Some of those downstairs were bigger than him. He was on his lunch break now, though. He was going to see Ronnie. She would be at the club he reckoned. She usually was at work around this time. He grabbed his coat and headed out with a wave at Adam as he went. He kicked a few rocks as he went, pondering his situation. Then pushed it away. He wasn't going to dwell on that. He had an empty bed for those kinds of thoughts.

Ray looked up as he reached the club. His heart stopped and his world went dark as he saw a ridiculously good-looking bloke kissing his Ronnie. He couldn't move, his feet wouldn't move. He only breathed when Ronnie pulled away. She had rejected him. He calmed. He trusted her. Same thing had happened with that Bastard Branning before he had buggered off. He started towards her, but froze in his tracks as Ronnie practically launched herself at his bloke. His heart shattered. Anger, jealousy and a whole tidal wave of negative emotions washed over him as his eyes glued themselves to the small scene before him.

He wanted to rip that bastard to pieces! His anger ebbed away slowly as his thoughts unexpectedly returned to Rowan. Hadn't he been shagging another woman just a few hours earlier? A married woman! The woman that was married to his best mate. He wasn't entitled to these emotions. He was doing worse. But that didn't stop his heart sinking like a brick attached to an anchor in the deepest, darkest abyss. He just stood, silently, and watched.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Ronnie broke off the kiss and stepped back, her hands flying up to cover her mouth.

"What am I doing?" she wailed. Daniel looked at her in shock. He shook his head slightly and held out a hand to her.

"Well, I thought we were enjoying ourselves," he said to her smoothly.

She looked up at Daniel. "I can't. I...I live with someone and we're having a baby and...I...I can't do this."

"Well, he doesn't seem to be making you happy if you're kissing me like that," he argued.

"It's not his fault. My hormones have me all over the place and I'm so confused," she began to sob.

"Hey, oh hey, come on, don't cry Ronnie," Daniel said to her gently and put a hand on her shoulder. "You knew I was flirting with you, why didn't you just stop me?"

"I don't know," she wailed.

"C'mon, c'mon, look I am a doctor you know, you can talk to me."

"I just, you're really handsome and I don't know, soon I'm going to be hideous and it was just nice I guess to..." she trailed off.

"To pretend you were single and not hideous," he gently teased and gave her a small smile. She fished a tissue out of her bag and blew her nose while she nodded.

"I just, a few days ago, I couldn't keep my hands off him. I...I wanted him," she gave him a look. Daniel nodded. "Yeah, that happens, perfectly normal. You know, a lot of men get that way, too, when their partner is pregnant. I mean, you're clearly stunning and I think you're going to bloom."

She blushed and smiled. "I might end up blooming, but I'll be blooming crazy," she joked. Daniel chuckled.

"How do you mean?"

"Because now, apart from bursting into tears or having massive tantrums for no reason, I can't...I can't touch him, well, I can touch him, but I can't stand him touching me," she whispered.

"Ahhhh," Daniel said and nodded.

"What ahhhh," she said, imitating his tone.

"That happened to me, well, my ex. She told me later that there were days she would rather smack me than kiss me when she was pregnant with Izzie."

"You're joking," Ronnie looked askance at him.

"No, really. It lasted on and off for maybe two months, then she was fine. She made me sleep on the couch a lot. Complained I held her too tight when we were sleeping and it was too uncomfortably warm," he explained.

"Yes, that's it, that's it exactly. So, I'm not really going crazy?"

"Well, who am I to say?" he teased her and she smacked his arm. "No, it doesn't mean you're going crazy, well, only a little," he put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her watery blue eyes. "But it will pass, I promise you. You're what, probably not even four months yet?" he guessed.

She nodded. "I'm umm, 13 weeks at least now, maybe 14, I was on depo so it's a bit hard to judge."

"I hope you feel better now? I really, I have to apologize for kissing you, if I had known."

"I know, I'm sorry, I should have said and I shouldn't have done what I did," she looked down, embarrassed.

"Well, I didn't mind," he said. "Here, come here," he said and hugged her. Ronnie hugged him back and smiled when they pulled apart. He put a hand on her cheek and then put his hands in his pockets.

"I hope he realizes what a lucky man he is," Daniel told her. "Because, I think you are something."

Ronnie blushed. "I'm the lucky one. He believed in me when no one else would, not even my own family. He's, he's really special," she whispered. Daniel leaned over.

"Well, I'm glad," he looked at his watch. "You don't know any place around here I could get a drink?"

"Yeah, the Queen Vic is just there," she pointed. "We passed it on the way here. My sister runs it," Ronnie told him. She watched the expression on Daniel's face turn hopeful and laughed.

"She's not single either. And she's probably still in bed hung over."

Daniel shrugged. "Just my luck," he sighed. He held his hand out to Ronnie and she took it. He raised her hand and kissed it and smiled at her.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Ronnie," he said.

"You too, Daniel."

He released her hand and walked off, whistling tunelessly as he went. Ronnie watched him go and then turned to go into the club and caught sight of Ray standing there, staring at her. The smile fell from her face and she felt herself go cold. The look on his face. She knew he'd seen. She swallowed and looked at him, unable to move. What must he think of her now? Making him sleep in another bed then seeing her kiss another man. She knew exactly what he must think. That she was having an affair. She wouldn't blame him for thinking it. That was blatantly how it might seem. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and gnawed at it nervously.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Ray's eyes tracked the man as he went off merrily. He couldn't hear what they were saying from here, but the bloke looked happy enough. Had she arranged to meet him later? How long had this been going on? He felt empty. His gaze went back to Ronnie. The look on her face told him all he needed to know. He turned on his heel and walked away from her. He would get something from the chippy and go back to work.

Ronnie felt her stomach roil with fear and shivered as her blood froze as she watched Ray turn on his heel and walk away.

"NO!" she shrieked and ran after him. Her ankle was unwilling to run and she stumbled and fell. "Shit," she swore and felt the tears coming. She got up and brushed off her clothes and she began walking as fast as she could.

She looked around. Where had he gone? She looked at her watch. Lunchtime. She gnawed her lip and turned towards the chippy. She saw him.

"Ray, wait," she called over to him and hurried over. "Ray, please, that wasn't what it seemed."

Ray closed his eyes and kept on walking. He was hurt. At least he didn't kiss Rowan in the middle of the street. Or in public at all. And there was Ronnie, throwing herself at a bloke in plain sight. His attention was caught briefly by Gene and Peter Beale, but he wasn't curious at all. He felt flat.

She was still calling him. He heaved a sigh and turned, his expression blank as he watched her approach. She was moving quicker he noted as he watched, he knew she had been to see the doctor that morning. No doubt she was healing fine. He didn't move or say anything. Just looked at her reproachfully.

Ronnie stopped short when Ray turned to her. She hurriedly scrubbed at her face with her sleeve. She bit her lip, her ankle hurt from trying to catch up to him but she tried to ignore it.

"That, I...I'm sorry," she blurted. She looked down. "I don't know why I did it, I only just met him. Dan...um, Dr. Granger is a colleague of Dr. Bond's. I ran into him at the surgery. I just...I...," she attempted to explain but couldn't seem to get her head straight. She heaved a great breath and pushed her hair back and looked at Ray.

"I messed up. My head is so messed up right now. I'm gonna be so huge and ugly soon and he was really handsome and charming and I guess I just forgot myself for a minute. That's all it was though. I told him, I live with someone and I'm having his baby and Dan...Dr. Granger apologized. He was very kind and said his ex had the same kind of problems when she was pregnant with their daughter. So, at least I'm not a freak. He said it would pass in a few weeks. I don't expect you to accept my apology, I don't really deserve it, not after that."

She looked down again and then back up at Ray.

"I'm going to stay with Roxy tonight, just tonight. I need my sister and she needs me right now, she's not well and Aunty Peg is leaving on a holiday again with Pat. And I promise if I see Dr. Granger anywhere near I won't even say hello. I have to go, Sarah's waiting. I love you, Ray, I do."

She turned and clutched her arms across herself as she headed back to the club. She fingered the chain of the necklace he'd given her. She almost never took the Key off.

Ray watched her go. Huge and ugly? She would never be ugly! Pregnant and beautiful yes! But never ugly. And a freak? He sighed and wished she would've hung around for him to reassure her. He contemplated going after her and holding her, stroking her hair as he told her that he didn't think she was a freak and that she could never be ugly.

But he didn't. He didn't go after her. Because he was hurt. And because she didn't seem to want him around at the moment. He scowled as he remembered the way she had kissed 'Doctor Granger'. She hadn't kissed him anything like that in week. All he got were chaste pecks on the lips every so often. Nothing like what he had seen on the street. It hurt that she was willing to kiss a complete stranger like that when she kept him at arm's length constantly.

And now she wouldn't be at home. He had trouble sleeping with her in the next room, with her out of the house completely he had to wonder how he was going to cope. He ran his hands over his face in annoyance. He knew how. And he knew where he would end up. He berated himself for his weakness and marched into the chippy

JT went into the bedroom and sat next to Rowan on the bed. She'd gotten dressed and laid on the bed, tears streaming down her face.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know what to say," she admitted. "I never expected any of this."

"Do you and Chris have an agreement, you know," he asked. It was often quite common back home. The town was so small that informal arrangements often occurred amongst handfasted couples.

"No, I don't think Chris would understand. And why would I? I never thought I could want anyone besides Chris."

"Ray's the one that sent you running home, isn't he?" he asked her quietly.

"Yes. But that was a misunderstanding, he thought I was Ronnie."

JT nodded. "I know, but a seed was planted, you have to admit."

Rowan nodded. "When Chris and I were fighting, I was having such a hard time being alone. I was miserable and I was convinced he was going to leave me for someone else who didn't have so much trouble conceiving," she paused and picked at the duvet. "Ray was in the park. He was drinking because he and Ronnie had fought and she'd thrown him out. I brought him here. He's our friend I couldn't leave him out there like that. I just knew something bad would happen. I came in here to change and he came after me and he kissed me and….things just sort of happened. But, it was, it was amazing."

"Ro, please," JT held up a hand.

"No, I'm not going to give you all the details. But I could see everything he wanted, feel it, he's so intense I lost myself. I never knew it could be like that. And I needed so very much that night. We needed each other."

"What about today?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I turned to go back to the kitchen to make coffee and he was right behind me. I ran into him and…." she trailed off and waved her hands. "But this time was more."

He looked at her.

"We meshed," she said, and wove her fingers together. "I shared with him and it was so, so fantastic," she told him. "I've never been able to do that with Chris. I mean, we have a bond, but I've never been able to do with him. So, can you see, I don't want to give that up. I love Chris, I do, but I could have loved Ray. If I'd known," she bowed her head.

"How do you get yourself into these messes?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she wailed. "But we're ending it. We don't want to hurt Chris and Ronnie. So, one last time, tonight, tomorrow night or the next. I'll show him what I did, and I'll teach him how and he'll go home to Ronnie and their already amazing sex life will get even better."

"If it's so great…." he began and she held up a hand.

"It is, I've already explained how this started," she snapped. JT nodded. "Right, sorry."

"And what about you?" he asked.

She shrugged and looked at him. "What about me? I'll have some amazing memories and I'll try again with Chris. He's not a bad lover, he's just, sometimes I want…." she stopped and looked down.

"You want someone really aggressive," he laughed at her. "You want Chris to slam you against that wall and just go crazy."

She blushed and nodded. "I usually do all the pushing around."

"Fine, you get this out of your system. I'll keep my mouth shut. But end it, like you said you would."

"I will, I've already promised."

He grabbed her arms.

"I'll talk to Chris when you've finished it. He'll be off nights soon so I'll see if I can't give him a little advice."

Rowan looked at him uncertainly.

"Just, I'll try to help. But Ro, when you've finished it, you can't go back. Not unless you work something out."

"I won't be able to. Ray won't want me anymore," she whispered. "I'll still want him but," she sniffed, "he isn't going to want me back."

JT didn't want to feel bad for her; she was going to hurt someone and things could get ugly, but the loss in her voice. He folded her in his arms and sighed.

He knew what she wanted; she wanted the same magic that her parents had had. Now, she thought she'd missed it, she would never have it. He rocked her as she cried out her confusion and frustration.

"Now look, we have to get downstairs and get started on some food. You have friends coming over," he told her sternly. She nodded and went to the bathroom and washed her face. She brushed out her hair; it had dried on its own and was starting to curl. She let JT French braid it for her and then went downstairs with him to start cooking.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Davina got showered and dressed.

"I need to leave, I can't stay here, I'm sorry. I like you, but Jack is here and his fiancé, there is no way I can stay here."

Max nodded. "That's a shame," he said quietly. He just couldn't win.

She pressed a soft kiss to his lips and grabbed her bag and walked out to her car. She looked around and climbed into the car and drove away.

Max peered out the window and watched her drive away. He heaved a sigh and headed for the pub.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Whitney went to the cafe and waved at Jane.

"Hi, Whit, you just missed Molly," Jane said to her. Whitney looked up.

"What?"

"Yeah, she was here just a few minutes ago. She and Fatboy were sitting back there talking and then she left. She looked a bit strange."

Whitney furrowed her brow.

"Thanks Jane," Whitney said, her tone confused and uncertain. She left the cafe and pulled out her phone.

"Hey Moll, where r u? Jane said you were at caf? Y u not say hi? Wanted 2 C U"

She flipped her phone shut after sending off the text and shoved it in her pocket.

Molly heard her phone go off in her pocket. She pulled it out and read the text. Whitney had wanted to see her? To tell her? Because Fats had said that neither Peter or Whitney were planning on telling her. She felt betrayed. She scuffed her shoe on the pavement deliberately as she dragged her feet and sent one back.

"Got essay 2 finish. Had 2 go"

She held her phone tightly. Whitney didn't know that she knew. Did she know that Fatboy knew? Molly spotted her front door and dug her keys out of her pocket. She sighed. Alex was expecting her at Rowan's. She snapped her phone open again.

"Gon hm. Essay. Tell R sorry :) x"

She pushed her phone into her pocket and went to the freezer. She pulled out a tub of ice-cream and got a spoon too. She settled herself in front of the TV and put it on the film channel.

Whitney read Molly's reply.

"K mate. Say when get done." Whitney paused and gnawed her lip. She really should tell Molly what happened. It hadn't meant anything but she didn't like keeping a secret from her best mate. She sighed and looked back at her phone.

"NEED 2 TALK SOON!"

She nodded and hoped her urgency would get across and sent the text.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Alex made sure that Sam was secure in her arms as she got him out of the car. Her phone went off and she sighed as she slung the day bag over her shoulder. It had everything Sam would need in it. Spare clothes, a couple of full bottles, a bib and nappies and wetwipes, and a small towel. She balanced Sam expertly and pulled out her phone. She frowned.

"Essay can wait! You've still got 3 days. Come down 2 restaurant x" she sighed as she held her phone and locked the car.

/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly ignored her phone the first time it went off and let out a hiss of irritation as it went off again. She picked it up and read the text from Alex and then the one from Whitney. She frowned and replied to her mum first.

"No."

She sighed as the message sent and then read Whitney's again. She chewed her lip as she twirled her phone.

"Bout wat?" she sent back to her.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Alyssa whimpered as she tried to move. She ached, she knew that she had hurt from everything that she had got from Davina and that was all still there, still hurt, but this was new and different from what she had when she had woken that morning. She was still being held tightly to Jack. She closed her eyes and winced as she moved slowly out of his grasp, but managed to stay silent, just.

She sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at her clothes that now littered the floor, he had managed to tear everything except her jeans. Even the strap on her bra had broken when he ripped it from her. She sighed and gingerly stood up. Her eyes closed, so painful. She let loose a shaky breath and grabbed her dressing gown. She wrapped herself in it and picked up her clothes from the floor, she binned the top, knickers and bra regretfully. That was her favourite long sleeved top he had ruined. She was gradually running low on matching underwear too. She would have to go shopping soon to replenish her wardrobe.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Gene stalked into the chippy and looked at Peter, who looked up at him as he walked in.

"Hello, Mr. Hunt, um, how can I help you?"

"You can start by telling me who the bloody hell you think you are?" Gene replied through clenched teeth, his tone low and tight.

"I'm sorry? I don't understand…." Peter began.

Gene's arm snaked out and he grabbed Peter's collar and yanked Peter towards him.

"Molly cares a great deal about you and I care a great deal about Molly. You hurt Molly, ergo, I hurt you, are we clear?" Gene hissed. Peter's eyes widened.

"Please, sir, it was just a mistake. Whit and I were drunk. We don't fancy each other or anything. Please, I….I love Molly, it was just an accident. I'm so sorry," he stammered.

Gene stared at Peter steadily and sniffed. He let Peter go roughly, shoving him back. Peter stumbled into the wall behind him and stayed there. Gene stabbed a finger at Peter.

"I'll let Molly deal with you then," he snarled and stalked out of the chippy. He ignored Ray and Ronnie standing there as he stormed past them and went back to the station.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Whitney had already started in the direction of Molly's home.

She pulled her phone out and read Molly's reply.

"Face to face, am on my way to yours. Please!"

Whitney sent the text off and began to run, ignoring the knapsack with her laptop in it as it banged against her back.

She caught her breath outside Molly's door and then knocked.

Molly frowned at Whitney's next text and looked up as the bell went. She didn't really want to talk to her best mate. She scoffed. Your best mate didn't make out with your boyfriend. Clearly Whitney was no best mate to her. She pushed the ice cream aside and stood. She knew Whit well enough to know she wouldn't leave until Molly let her in. She opened the door grudgingly and stared at Whitney emotionlessly.

Whitney looked at Molly's face and realized Molly already knew.

"I was coming to tell you. Molly, it was accident. You know how drunk we were, anyway, we were taking out the rubbish bags and he said happy new year and I said happy new year and it just happened. I'm sorry Molly, it just sort of happened. It's not like we fancy each other...we don't. Not at all. It was just a stupid accident and I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me."

Molly stood in the door and shivered at the wind as it hit her. She listened patiently to Whitney and sighed as she stood back to let Whitney inside. She was freezing. Molly shut the door behind her and turned to look at her.

She felt betrayed certainly. But like Whitney said, they had all been drunk. She tapped her nails together nervously as she thought. She didn't want to lose her best friend. Not over this

"Do want to stay for a bit. I'm in the middle of Bridget Jones," she shrugged and got out a spoon from the draw an held it out to Whitney. "There's ice cream," she smiled.

Whitney gave Molly a small smile and grabbed her into a hug.

"Yes, please. Look, I'll move out of there if you want but, I'm hardly going to be there when school starts and most of the time I'll be locked in my room with a takeaway and my sketch book and the laptop."

She took the spoon and dropped her bag on the floor by the couch and sat down.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

The sounds of Alyssa's rustlings woke Jack and he stretched and sat up. He looked at her and gave her a small smile.

"Hope I didn't hurt you, I was just so angry," he said. "I'll replace the clothes, I promise."

Alyssa looked around as she heard him speak and sighed "I'll be fine, just a little sore," she assured him and went back to skimming through her clothes. She finally pulled out a top and a cardigan and slipped them on with her jeans. She grabbed her flat boots and slid her feet into them then ran a brush through her hair and sorted her makeup.

He climbed off the bed and tossed his torn shirt in the bin and pulled a fresh one from the wardrobe.

"I have battle scars now too, though," he told her and turned so she could see where her nails had got him. He chuckled.

"Guess we should hurry, got some good food to look forward to."

"Mexican," she grinned. "Can't wait," she felt a little guilty about the marks on his back, they didn't look so good. However, she consoled herself with that fact that if he hadn't taken his anger out on her like that then he wouldn't have those lovely red marks.

Jack got dressed and pulled on his shoes and went over to Alyssa and folded her in his arms.

"I love you, you mad thing. And can I just say now, that watching you last night, was quite the turn on," he breathed in her ear and kissed her cheek.

Alyssa rested her head against him and smiled to herself.

"I love you, too," she said as she tilted her head back up to look at him. "And Davina is properly viscous in a fight. Did you see that bruise on my hip? She looks all innocent and timid but she hits really hard."

She let go of him and grabbed up her bag "Come on. Rowan will have done tamales!" she grinned as she made her way downstairs.

"I don't care about Davina," he grinned at her and followed her down.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Rowan and JT got the food going. She wasn't sure how much to make. She supposed some people might come late and some of the food would keep well, so she decided not to worry about it.

She kept it simple, lots of tamales, enchilada casserole, refried beans, rice and a large pot of posole and some quesadillas.

She looked at JT. Chris had gone straight to bed when he finally got home. She'd have to wake him soon if he was going to eat before going back to work. She looked over at JT.

"Is Roxy coming?"

JT looked at Rowan. "I don't know. I'm not very happy with her after the way she acted last night."

"Why, what did she do?"

"She got horrifically drunk and she, her behavior was appalling. I just packed my stuff and left."

"You're kidding?"

"No," he said.

Rowan looked at him and shook her head as she went to wake up Chris. She hadn't realized JT could be quite so judgmental. She went up and woke Chris so he would have time to get ready.

"Are you recovered from last night?" she asked.

He nodded. "Thanks for the clothes."

"What, I got them out of the wardrobe. You could have asked me to bring them, you know."

"I did not want you down there, it was really bad. Besides, this place isn't so far from the station that it wasn't out of Ray's way to stop and get them for me."

"Okay," Rowan went and put on the skirt and top she'd decided to wear and pulled her boots on before heading back downstairs.

Ronnie went to the club and helped Sarah and Doug and James clean the place top to bottom.

/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\

Gerald looked up from the TV as he ears movement upstairs. The house had been silent when he had come in. He supposed that they had either gone out, were ignoring each other or had made up. The two sets of footsteps he could hear and the calm voices told him that it was the latter. He was glad, Jack hadn't looked good at all in the park. And the look on his face when he had left to go back to the house had alarmed Gerald, he hadn't realised that Jack was capable of that much aggression. He had worried for Alyssa for a moment, then discarded the thought. She could hold her own and he didn't think that Jack would be able to hurt her.

He looked around as the bottom stair creaked and saw his daughter's head peer around the door.

"All made up?" he questioned.

She nodded in replay and glanced at the TV briefly. "Are you coming with us to Rowan's?" she asked curiously as she looked back at him. Gerald raised his eyebrows. "A toss up between Rowan's cooking or my own," he pretended to think then looked at he again. "I think Rowan wins every time don't you?"

Alyssa nodded. "We're leaving in a moment," she informed him and left him as she went to get her coat that hung by the door.

Jack grinned at Gerald and helped Alyssa on with her coat.

"And Rowan's done Mexican food, you haven't eaten until you've tried that," Jack told him and went out to the car.

Gerald raised his eyebrows at Alyssa and she smiled at him. "Jack's right! You wait until you taste her tamales!" she grinned and followed Jack outside. She slipped into the car and watched Gerald shut the door and climb into the back.

Jack drove them to the restaurant and hurried around to open the door for Alyssa before knocking on the door of the restaurant. He saw JT turn to the door and waved at him.

Alyssa climbed out of the car as Gerald slipped out too and grabbed her coat tighter around her as she followed her fiancé and her father inside. She swung the door shut behind her and inhaled deeply before giving JT a quick hug and taking off her coat. She hung it up and went through to the kitchen to see Rowan, inhaling the amazing smells as she went.

Gerald slipped out of his jacket and hung it next to Alyssa's. He nodded cordially at JT. The guy was still huge.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Roxy tossed onto her front. Her head was killing her. It felt like it was going to split in two. She held it as she forced herself to sit up and look around. She frowned. No JT? She shrugged. Maybe he was already awake? She glanced at the clock and grimaced. He was definitely already awake. She hauled herself out of bed and grabbed her dressing gown. She wrapped it around her and shuffled into the kitchen. No JT here either, she grabbed the medicine box from the top cupboard and got out some paracetamol, she dry swallowed two and continued her search. She poked her head into the lounge and sighed. He was probably downstairs serving or something. She collapsed onto the sofa and looked around. Her gaze drifted to where JT kept his fiddle and she stiffened. It was gone. The case was gone. The only time it vanished was when he was playing it. If he was playing now then she would be able to hear it. She listened intently and bit her bottom lip. Nothing. She went back to her room and looked around it. His things were gone too. Her stomach plummeted. He'd gone.

Roxy fell backwards onto the bed. Why had he gone? What had she done wrong? She re-ran the events of last night through her mind. She couldn't remember much, she had got completely plastered with Christian as usual. Her memory stopped after the 4th round of shots. Though, she closed her eyes as a blurry memory fought it's way through the haze. JT helping her upstairs. She sighed. That was all she had.

Peggy heard Roxy finally moving around and went in. She held a piece of paper out to Roxy.

"JT left this for you, he said he's sorry," she told Roxy and handed her the folded note. "I didn't read it, so don't worry."

She turned to leave the room and then looked back.

"Ronnie's on her way over and Amy's in the front room."

Peggy gave Roxy a small smile and went back to the front room to check on Amy.

Roxy read the note quickly twice and scowled. Screw him. Clearly if he had found her behaviour last night shocking then he didn't know her very well. She screwed it into a ball and threw it at the wall. She wasn't going to change, not for him, not for anyone. She was Roxy Mitchell, no one would make her be something she wasn't.

She lifted herself off her bed and left her dark room once more. She smiled as she went into the front room and spotted Amy who reached to her for a hug. Roxy scooped her daughter off the floor and sat her on her lap and hugged her gently.

"Whar JayTeeee?"

Roxy sighed as she ran her fingers tenderly through Amy's curls. "JT's gone away for a bit, honey," at Amy's confused expression she kissed her forehead. "You know how Auntie Ronnie doesn't live here anymore?" Any nodded readily. "Well, neither does JT."

Amy frowned. "Why," she demanded and Roxy sighed. Keep it simple, she thought, she's only 3."Because he doesn't like Mummy anymore," she explained and Amy held onto her mum's finger "Looobe Mummmy," she smiled and Roxy grinned at her. "I love you too Amy, now," she said briskly as she popped her daughter back on the floor. "What's this?" she asked as she picked up the piece of paper with Amy's scribbles on it.

Ronnie got to the pub and headed upstairs and looked around for Roxy.

"Rox, you here? Hello?"

Roxy looked up from Amy's drawings and smiled weakly at Ronnie.

"Hey Ron. How's the foot?"

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Janine finally got Ffion to answer the door.

"Are you up for going out? I missed you last night."

Ffion sighed. "Sorry about last night."

"I suppose I can forgive you if you come out with us tonight," Janine said.

"Us?"

"Me and Bradley," Janine said and gave Ffion on light slap on the arm.

"Oh, right, of course. Okay then, I suppose so. I'm gonna go grab a Mexican over at Rowan's and then I'll be free."

"You should take Bradley with you, dinner party, you should have a date."

"I don't need a date."

"Of course you do."

"I doubt he's even free, besides, I have to go," Ffion said. She pulled the door shut and gave Janine a quick smile before bounding off in the direction of the restaurant.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

JT grinned at Jack and Alyssa.

"How you folks doing?" he asked them cordially.

Rowan came bounding out of the kitchen and flung her arms around Alyssa.

"Glad you are here," she said cheerfully. She gave Jack a quick squeeze too and nodded at Gerald. JT started bringing the food out and putting it on the large table Rowan had set up for everyone to sit at. She wasn't sure how many people would be coming. She went back to the kitchen to carry food and smiled at Chris.

Chris wrapped his arms around her and gave her a quick kiss.

"Did you get enough rest?" she asked him worriedly.

"Yes, actually. I slept like a rock," he replied. "How are you sleeping?"

"I get by. You'll be off nights as soon as Hale gets back in a few days," she shrugged, "and everything will be back to normal. Don't worry about me."

She turned away and picked up the platter with the quesadillas on it and brought it out. Chris watched her go. Something was off there, he wasn't sure what, but he was sure something was wrong. A thought occurred to him and then he shook his head. No. He grabbed up the casserole and carried it out and put it on the table.

Ffion came into the restaurant and smiled all around.

"Hey, Ffion," Rowan greeted her.

"Hiya," Ffion trilled. She headed over to get herself a beer and carefully dodged Chris as she passed. Chris glanced at her and put the casserole on the table. Ffion walked over with several beers. She handed a beer to Gerald and gave him a small smile when her back was to Jack and Alyssa. She turned and handed one to Jack.

"Thank you, Fee," Jack said and opened the beer and took a drink.

Rowan went and got Alyssa a glass of wine and a beer for herself and for Chris.

Alyssa grinned at Rowan and took her seat at her usual table. She moved over so that Gerald could sit down too and thanked Rowan for her wine.

Gerald nodded imperceptibly at Ffion as he took the beer from her and took a sip.

/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\

Alex balanced Sam and the bag carefully as she managed to get inside the restaurant and dump the bag near the entrance. She grinned at all of them as she took her seat and rested Sam more comfortably in her arms.

"Hey," she smiled then looked over at Rowan. "Molly says sorry she can't come, she's got this huge essay to finish or something. Hopefully she'll pop down later, though."

Rowan went over and helped Alex with Sam.

"Well, I'll pack up some food for her and for Gene too. I assume he is working. I think it's going to be just us," she looked over at Chris.

"Ray is still at work," she raised her brows at him and he nodded. "Though I don't know why Ronnie's not here."

Rowan glanced over at JT. Rowan had an idea where Ronnie might be. She looked down at the baby and then moved back around to her chair.

"So, dig in everyone."

/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\

Ffion sat across from Gerald, next to Rowan. Gerald raised his eyebrows slightly as Ffion sat opposite him, but didn't comment on it. He cautiously filled his plate with a little of everything and experimented.

Alyssa immediately filled her plate and got started on the food. The one piece of toast hadn't filled her and her hangover was gone now. Food, especially Mexican, was making her ravenous.

Alex settled Sam and got started on eating. He was sleepy, hopefully he'd drop off and not start bawling again.

Rowan looked around at her friends eating and smiled inwardly. She wished more of them were here though. JT was clearly upset and missing Roxy. He really should call her. Rowan couldn't figure it out.

One night cutting loose didn't mean Roxy did it all the time, surely JT realized that. Or, Rowan thought, Phil Mitchell. He was an alcoholic. She wondered if JT thought maybe Roxy might go the same way. Rowan didn't think that likely. She got up to get some more drinks and jerked her head at JT to help her.

"You should call Roxy. It was New Year's Eve, JT. People get drunk, they party, they go crazy. I don't think she's going to end up like Phil if that's what you're worried about."

JT looked at her. "I suppose you're right. I don't want to intrude on her and her sister though."

"You should still talk to her. They can still have their sister time and you can look after Amy."

He nodded and grabbed the beers.

"Okay."

He went back to the table and passed the beers around while Rowan refilled Alex and Alyssa's wine.

"So, ready for school to start again, Jack?" Rowan asked him.

"Yes, I've rested enough I think. This year feels like it's flying by," he joked.

Alyssa snorted.

"Also because going back to work means he gets to weasel out of doing the garden," she looked at him. "Don't think I hadn't noticed," she smiled.

Ffion pretended to be engrossed in the conversations going on around her while she slipped off one of her shoes and slipped her bare foot over Gerald's ankle.

Gerald choked but covered it with a cough. He dismissed the confused look from Alyssa and gave Ffion a warning look. Ffion gave Gerald a bland look.

Jack gave Alyssa an overly innocent look. "Would I do such a thing?"

"Yeah, you would mate," Chris shot at him. Jack threw his head back and laughed.

"You're right, I would," he chuckled.

Alyssa shook her head at him and looked back down at her plate. She his her laughed by taking a massive bite of her tamale. "You're going to have to do it at some point," she said matter-of-factly. "I can't do it," she held up her hands. "It'll ruin my nails!" she whined.

Gerald raised an eyebrow at Ffion and shook his head at her slightly. He was not doing anything like that here. Around his daughter who had only just calmed down. No. Not here.

"Yes dear," Jack sighed defeatedly. "It is very crucial that no harm come to your nails."

He dug into some more food and looked around sadly.

"I don't think you're going to get any sympathy," Rowan told him and Chris chuckled and shook his head.

"No, somehow I don't think I am," he agreed and heaved an over-dramatic sigh. He looked at Alyssa and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"You never learn, do you!"

Alyssa chuckled at him and rolled her eyes. He was going to learn at some point. He was never going to get sympathy off her, Rowan or Chris.

Ffion smirked slightly and turned back to her food. She finished her dinner and took her empty plate to the kitchen.

"Rowan, that was amazing and I appreciate you inviting me, but I'm off out," Ffion told her.

Rowan looked up.

"Yeah, got plans with Janine."

"Janine, really," Rowan commented.

"Yeah, we've become pretty good mates actually. However," she said in a confiding tone as she pulled on her coat. "I think she invites me because if I go, that means Bradley will go because she says he fancies me and if I'm being honest, I think she fancies Bradley, so, you know, play a bit of matchmaker," Ffion chuckled and headed out.

Rowan waved goodbye to Ffion and locked the door.

"Well, it's not traditional Mexican, but I made a Texas sheet cake for dessert," Rowan said. Chris got up and helped Rowan with the empty dishes.

"What time do you have to leave for work?"

Chris looked at the clock. "Not until 7, another couple hours, why?"

"You always seem to rush off to work after one of these," she replied. "I think you're trying to get out of washing up."

"No, never."

"Get those plates, you," she told him. "And I promise if you don't rush off, I'll do all the washing up myself."

"Really, well, how can I refuse then?" he said to her and brushed his lips against hers.

Rowan watched him leave the kitchen. She did love him, so much. She had to get Ray out of her head. She had to.

She picked up her phone and sent off a text to Ray.

"Plenty of food still. Hurry over. Drag Gene w/ you. Alex Jack Lyss Chris JT Gerald all here."

She put her phone back down and carried out the cake.

"I've texted Ray and told him to drag himself and Gene over here," she grinned at Alex. "But I'll still pack up some leftovers. I'm sure Alyssa wants some tamales, in fact, I made you extra and already packed them for you to take home," she told Alyssa and winked.

Gerald watched Ffion leave and sighed inwardly. He had wanted to see her properly before she left. He looked up at the mention of cake and greedily finished the food on his plate. He was happy to say that he rather like Mexican. The way Rowan made it anyway.

Alyssa waved Ffion off and her eyes brightened at the mention of spare tamales. She grinned. "Love you, Ro," she replied in a sing-song voice as she reached for her wine glass.

Alex nodded her thanks. Spare food from Rowan would not last 3 days in their house. Not with Molly and Gene around.

"I can try, and I won't give up trying," Jack retorted and sulkily took the piece of cake JT handed him and began to eat.

"Love you, Lyss," Rowan sing-songed back. "That's why this time I got extra masa so I could make extra just for you."

Rowan pursed her lips and made kissy noises next to Alyssa's cheek and she put a plate with a piece of cake on it in front of her sister.

She put a plate of cake in front of Gerald and went back to her seat.

/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

"My ankle's okay, went to the surgery today and Dr. Bond says I don't need the crutches, but just to be careful and not overdo it over the next few days," she said and dropped on the couch.

She smiled and gave Amy a little wave.

"Oh, Roxy, I've messed up so, so very badly. I'm not sure I can fix it. When I went to see Dr. Bond, this other doctor came in, he was from where Dr. Bond used to work. Dr. Granger. Oh, Roxy, he was so handsome and really charming and I couldn't help but flirt," Ronnie dropped her face into her hands and then looked back up at Roxy. "I kissed him, it was such a mistake, I don't know what came over me, I've been such a mess this week," she finished, her tone desperate. "I told Daniel, Dr. Granger, that I was with someone and apologized and everything but when I turned to go in the club, Ray was standing across the way. He saw everything."

Ronnie bowed her head and let the tears fall.

"I'm pregnant and everything is going wrong. Why...why does it always go wrong," she wailed.

Roxy folded her sister in her arms and hugged her until she had calmed down. Amy sat on the floor, watching her mum and her aunt. She toddled over and climbed up onto Roxy's lap and put her hand on Ronnie's face. She furrowed her brow as Roxy held her gently and she looked at her aunt.

"Why cwy?" she demanded.

Roxy shifted Amy on her lap. "Auntie Ronnie's upset," she explained gently and Amy frowned. "Like Mummy?" she asked. Roxy frowned. "What d'you mean 'like mummy'?" she asked.

Amy frowned. "Coz JayTeeee," Roxy sighed and shook her head. "No honey, it's different," Amy frowned and then turned back to Ronnie curiously. "Why cwy?" she demanded again.

Ronnie leaned against her sister. Her sobs finally quieted.

"What am I going to do? He's probably going to leave me," she sighed. Her expression went curious when she heard Amy's comment.

Roxy squeezed Ronnie and kissed her sister's forehead. "He won't leave you, Ron. Look at the way he stood up against Phil at Christmas! He cares for you too much," she assured her. She hoped Ray wouldn't leave her. She didn't want Ronnie being upset again. Since she had met Ray she had been so happy.

"I know Roxy, but you didn't see his face. And, the hormones have been making me crazy. Dr. Granger said it was normal and that it would pass but Roxy, I've been sleeping in the spare room. He just...holds me too tight and I get too warm and can't sleep and sometimes the thought of Ray touching me just, I can't stand it. And just a few days before, I couldn't keep my hands off him. How do you think it looks then, sleeping in separate beds and then I go kiss some admittedly very handsome man right there, on the street, where anybody can see. Now, what about JT?"

Roxy sighed and looked at Amy reproachfully as the girl climbed back onto the floor and picked up her crayons again.

"I woke up this morning and he'd packed his stuff and left a note," she shrugged and moved her eyes back to Amy. She hastily stood and picked the girl up and away from the wall.

"Amy! What did Mummy and Aunty Peggy say about drawing on the walls! Don't do it," she scolded and looked at the small black mark. She rubbed on it until it was less noticeable and handed Amy her colouring book.

Ronnie looked at her sister. "And I'm not talking a peck, it was a proper snog. Now, why would JT pack up and leave? I thought you two were really a good thing."

Roxy looked at her sister empathetically. Poor Ronnie. She perched herself on the arm of the sofa near to Ronnie. She sighed. "Well, explain to him what you just told me!" she advised. "That way he knows what's going on in your head. I'll bet he's crushed right now." She frowned as Ronnie pushed the JT thing.

"Gimme a sec, I'll get you the note," she said and stood up again. She went back to her room and picked up the screwed up piece of paper from her bedroom floor. She smoothed it out flat again and took it back to Ronnie. She handed it over and she went into the kitchen and got Ronnie a glass of coke then left it in the kitchen once she realised there was no alcohol upstairs. She scowled and went downstairs and grabbed a new vodka bottle from the bar. She could cover it later. Besides, her pub. She went back up an added vodka to her glass of coke and picked up both glasses and took them through to the front room again.

"I already did tell him. He just stood there and stared at me. It was so awful. I'm staying here tonight. I don't want to be home alone. He'll probably go out drinking and then go stay with Chris and Rowan. I need to let him cool off."

"I'm fine with you staying here. I'll make up your room," Roxy offered.

Ronnie watched her sister go and then took the coke Roxy handed her and the note.

She read over the note and looked at Roxy.

"Rox, he's met Phil, how do you think he's going to react? And really, up until then you've never really been drunk around him. I think I can see how it would be a bit of a shock."

Roxy scowled.

"I'm not Phil, Ron! I don't have his dad. I'm not an aggressive alcoholic! Besides, it's New Years! I'm allowed to get hammered, that's what I do, Christian and I drink ourselves into oblivion. That's the way it is. And if JT thinks I'm going to change he's got another thing coming!" she huffed.

"Roxy that's not really fair. How do you think he felt? You know how you act when you get drunk, especially when you're with Christian. Maybe it's not just the drinking, but the way you were acting. I hate to say it, you're my sister and I love you but you can be a bit of a slapper, let's be honest," Ronnie said. "Besides, he's a good catch. What's giving up getting yourself hammered beyond all reason if you have someone like that around? Besides, it was the excessiveness of it all that bothered him, not that you stop drinking entirely," Ronnie explained. She took a sip of her coke and leaned back with her hand on her stomach.

Roxy scowled. She didn't care; she loved getting pissed beyond belief with Christian. It was rare that they did it now so she treasured the times that they did. Even with Syed there it was still fun, and meant that she didn't have to worry about Christian getting home safely. In all fairness she knew what she was like when she was drunk, but again, that's the way she was. She wasn't going to change just because JT didn't like it. She folded her arms across her chest and looked up.

"So, I notice your complete lack of reaction to my other news, I'm pregnant Roxy, around 14 weeks. I wanted to put off telling everyone but I had an argument with Phil and it sort of slipped out. I wanted to tell you first when I decided to start telling people. Sorry."

"Pregnant?" she must have missed the first time Ronnie had said it. She beamed and pulled Ronnie into a hug. "Ron! That's amazing news!" she laughed happily. "It's Ray's, right?" she questioned.

Ronnie laughed at her sister's question.

"Well, of course it's his. He's really pleased. We found out at Christmas, they had to test me before they would x-ray my ankle and well...it was positive," Ronnie shrugged. "I just didn't expect it to make such a mess of me. I'm really 'Crazy Ronnie' now," she sighed. "I still think you should talk to JT. What if he did something that shocked you? Wouldn't you want to sit down and talk to him about it?"

Roxy sighed "I don't know! Maybe? But I'm not going running to him. If he wants to talk he's gonna have to come to me," she said defiantly.

She looked over at her sister's defiant tone. "I hope you don't intend to sound like that when you talk to him. Unless you don't want him back. You really should learn to put yourself in other people's shoes, Rox," Ronnie chided her.

Roxy shrugged and sighed. "It's hard to see myself from someone else's point of view, Ron. I can't actually do it," she replied.

Roxy shook her head and patted Ronnie's shoulder. "You'll never be 'crazy Ronnie' Ron," she said gently. "I don't think that anyone actually thinks that; ignore Phil because he doesn't speak sense anymore. Ever since you met Ray you've been so much different," she smiled. "Good different, you've been happy and fun and like you used to be," she grinned. "And congrats by the way," then she frowned. "You've known since Christmas and you've only thought to tell me know!" she asked incredulously.

"I didn't only just think to tell you. We weren't going to tell anyone until I was farther along. But when I had the argument with Phil it sort of slipped out. So I'm telling you, but not sure about telling anyone else really," he picked at the polish on her finger. "I'm going to keep the baby even if he leaves me though. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Something always seems to go wrong when I get pregnant."

Roxy sighed, she hoped nothing would go wrong, the first time her baby had been taken away from her and then she had had that miscarriage last time. Roxy sighed and ran her finger around the rim of her glass. "You'll be fine Ron," she said. "Stop worrying, but you have to talk to him," she advised.

"I will, hopefully he will have cooled down by tomorrow and he'll talk back to me, not just stare at me with that horrible blank stare," Ronnie replied.

Roxy frowned. "So he didn't say anything at all? Just stared at you?" she shuddered and cringed. "Ouch."

"You should at least try. JT's a decent guy and he adores Amy and she adores him. Do you want to give that up?"

Roxy shook her head. "No, I don't want to lose him. He's lovely and great with Amy like you said and he cooks and gets on with everyone. He's the bee's knees compared with half of the other guys I've dated," she sighed and took a large gulp of her vodka coke.

"Then you owe it to yourself to talk to him, try to see things from his point of view a bit."

/\\\/\/\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\

Jimmi, Cherry and Simon went to the pub and joined Daniel there for lunch.

"What happened to the picnic?" Daniel asked them.

"Ginger is coming over for lunch and the park where we were going to picnic is too close to the station," Simon replied. "He doesn't want to be too easily got hold of in case things go wrong at the station."

Jimmi chuckled.


	12. Chapter 12

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 12**

Ginger enjoyed a long lunch with Simon and his friends before heading back to the station. Things had finally quieted down and many of the drunken revelers they'd locked up had sobered up and been bailed out. Ginger was glad it was all over. It had been quite a nightmare. He finished up his paperwork on another release and went in to see Gene.

He nodded at Ray as he passed his desk and stood in the doorway to Gene's office.

"Guv, I've got everything sorted now and all the files are finished and the reports are all on Chris' desk for when he gets here later. If there's nothing else, I'd like to go. Simon has some friends in from out of town and they're leaving tomorrow so we wanted to go out and have some fun," he said.

"Go on then, just don't come in hung over tomorrow."

"Oh, nothing like that Guv. The lot of us are going over to the West End to catch a show then a late meal. I promise not to be hung over," he avowed and left.

"Bye sir," he said to Ray as he passed his desk again and left.

Peter got home from the chippy, dropped onto the couch and sighed. What a day! How had Mr. Hunt found out about Whitney? He'd thought they were going to keep it quiet. He went upstairs and looked around. Empty.

He went next door to the cafe to get a quick sandwich and hopefully talk to Jane, but Jane had left for a gig, Bianca explained. Peter thanked her, took the sandwich and went home. He turned on the tele and stared at it blankly as he ate.

When he'd finished, he picked up his phone and texted Molly. "Just got done work. Miss u! xxoo"

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Ffion waved at Janine as she stood outside her flat next to a cab.

"Bout time you got here, I was beginning to think you weren't going to turn up."

"I said I would. So, where's Bradley?"

"He'll be along, something going on with his dad. C'mon let's go," Janine urged and all but pushed Ffion into the cab.

Ffion grinned and scooted over so Janine could get in. Her phone beeped and Ffion pulled it out of her bag and read the text from her brother. There had been some sort of problem with the car, they'd be back tomorrow first thing. Ffion gnawed her lip and decided she was going to have an early night.

She quickly sent off a text to Gerald.

"R&S delayed, not back till morn. My place-2 hours?"

She flipped her phone shut and stuck it back in her pocket after replying to her brother.

"What was all that about?"

"Oh, I've only got a couple of hours. The flat is a bit of a mess and Rhys and Shaz are due back this evening. He was just texting me to say they're on the way. So, I'll need to have time to tidy up. Can't afford to lose the roof over my head," she lied blithely.

Janine nodded. "Fine. Then I'm just as happy if Bradley doesn't turn up."

"I don't know why you are so convinced he fancies me."

"Fee, he..." Janine broke off realizing the cab driver might be able to hear her and lowered her voice, "he's already shagged you once you said. Of course he fancies you."

Ffion rolled her eyes. "You don't necessarily have to fancy someone to shag them."

"At least a little or why bother?" Janine chuckled.

"Yeah, all right," she conceded and was silent the rest of the drive. She was too busy thinking that two hours couldn't pass quickly enough.

/\\\/\\\\/\\\\/\\\\/\\\\/\\\\/\/\\\/\\\\/\\

Gene looked over his desk after Ginger left and finished signing the last of the paperwork he needed to sign. He grabbed the bottle from his drawer and a mug and a clean glass and walked out to Ray's desk and poured them each a drink. He raised the mug at Ray.

"Cheers," he said and downed it.

"Cheers," Ray raised the glass at Gene as he watched Gene throw the liquor down his throat.

Ray looked down as his phone went off. He drank back the alcohol from the glass and then read the text. He chuckled.

"Guv, looks like we're being summoned," he grinned and handed his phone to Gene so that he could read the text.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Alyssa giggled and pulled the plate towards her and dug into the cake. Gerald watched his daughter and Rowan curiously, Alyssa got on with her so easily. He was glad. He took a cautious bite of the cake and grinned to himself before taking a bigger bite. Gerald silently slid his phone from his pocket as it went off and grinned at the text.

Alyssa looked over at him curiously. He turned to her, formulating a lie as he studied her face. "Patrick wants to pick up where we left last night. The guy can't seem to get enough of the rum," he grinned.

She nodded. "When're you going over?"

Gerald checked the text from Ffion again and then pocketed his phone after sending back a text saying he would see her later. "Couple of hours," he shrugged.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Ffion read Gerald's reply and smiled. Things were definitely looking up, she decided. She got a drink when she and Janine got to the club they were going to and danced a bit, but she just wasn't into it. She wanted to be at home having fun. She slipped away about an hour later while Janine was being chatted up by some random bloke and got a cab home. She hurried inside and began to clean. It wouldn't be as clean as clean as Rhys would make it, but it would do.

Then she got started on her room. She couldn't have Gerald in her room with it being a total disaster.

Ffion finally finished tidying up and sent off a text to Gerald.

"Ready and waiting x"

Gerald glanced at the text briefly then drained his pint and waved once at the people around him before hurrying out of the pub and heading quickly towards Ffion's brother's home where he knew she was.

Ffion ran to open the door when she heard Gerald knock. She opened the door and smiled at him.

"Good to see you," she said and let him in.

Gerald nodded at her. "You too," he replied as he stepped over the threshold and shut the door behind him

Ffion grabbed Gerald's hand and led him to her room.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Molly reached down to the floor with the spoon in her mouth for her phone. She sighed as she read Peter's text. She had forgiven Whitney, so why didn't she want to forgive him? She shook her head and threw the phone back onto the sofa. She would dwell on him tomorrow.

Whitney looked over as Molly tossed her phone aside.

"You all right?"

Molly shrugged.

"I don't want to talk to him yet," she replied as she dipped her spoon back into the ice cream.

"Ahh," was all Whitney could think to say. She wanted to keep her peace with Molly though she knew Peter was in bits about what had happened.

Molly continued with her ice cream and didn't ask what Whitney had meant by her tone, but absorbed herself in the movie instead.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\

Gene read the text and chuckled.

"Let's go then," Gene said and put the mug down. "I'm hungry."

He strode out of the station and climbed into the Quattro. Once Ray was in the car, he drove to the restaurant.

Rowan saw the Quattro pull up outside and she stood up.

"Seems Mr. Hunt has arrived," she remarked. "JT, can you get the door and I'll make up some plates."

She went into the kitchen and fixed up two plates of food and brought them out while JT unlocked the door and let Gene and Ray in.

Gene went immediately over to Alex and leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He looked at the baby and sat down.

Chris handed Gene a beer and then handed one to Ray as Rowan put the food down.

She picked up the empty plates and took them to the kitchen. She shook her head at Chris.

"I told you, I'll do the dishes so you can sit and enjoy yourself, otherwise it feels like you're just hurrying off. Now go, sit."

He nodded and went back out to sit with everybody while Rowan racked the dishes and began to spray them off. She chuckled to herself. It wasn't as though there were that many dishes anyway. Besides, she didn't think she was ready to sit in there with Ray, not just yet.

Chris sat down at the end of the table so he could talk to Ray and Gene.

"So, how was the rest of the day? Things calm down at all?"

Ray looked over at Chris and shrugged. "Most of them have sobered and are sleeping the rest off in the cells, we've still got a few unruly blokes though, but they're easily dealt with," he replied with a small yawn and leant back in his chair.

Chris sighed. "Good, so tonight won't be too chaotic, then. That's a relief. I'll be glad when Hale gets back."  
Gene grunted agreement as he made his way through his food.

Rowan finished up the dishes and came back out. She smiled at Gene and Ray and handed Alex and Alyssa each a bag.

"There's Molly's dinner and some extras, and there are your tamales," she said to each of them as she handed over the canvas bags. She sat down and started on her cake, pulling it towards her and curling an arm around the plate dramatically while she raised an eyebrow at Chris.

"You know where the rest of the cake is, so you can just leave mine be," she warned him with a half-smile. Chris chuckled and looked away from the cake.

"Cheers Ro," Alyssa grinned up at Rowan as she took the bag then set it on her lap carefully and went back to her cake greedily.

Alex peered into the bag that Rowan had given her and smiled, no doubt Molly would be happy. Alex had a suspicion that when she was working that her daughter snaffled some of the tasty treats that were made in the kitchen, but she was glad in any case, Molly was being taught how to cook these delicious dishes herself, her buttermilk biscuits had really come along and even though they occasionally looked a little dodgy, they still tasted right. She looked at Gene fondly and smiled at him as he ate, she was glad that she didn't have to be at the station at this time of year, it was clearly hectic down there and she didn't really like the aftermath of New Years, she preferred the cases where there was a little more brain power involved rather than beating people to a pulp. That was Gene's area of expertise.

Chris finally got up.

"Time for work," he said with more cheer than he felt. Rowan went with him to the door and he gave her a quick kiss before leaving.

Gene looked at Alex. "We should go, too. Check and make sure Molly is okay, get her fed."

He got up and picked up Sam so Alex would have an easier time carrying everything else.

"Thanks for the food, love," Gene said to Rowan and patted her on the shoulder. She smiled at him and handed Alex the diaper bag before turning to JT.

JT gave Rowan a quick hug.

"I'm going to see about talking to Roxy," he told her quietly and left. Rowan nodded and wished him luck.

Jack looked at Alyssa. "Suppose we should go too, if we're going to go over to the garden center tomorrow," he sighed. "Your dad's already headed off to get drunk with Patrick."

"So, you're actually going to start on the garden tomorrow then?" Rowan joked, her tone one of disbelief. She grinned at Jack as he growled at her.

"Be nice or we'll make you come help."  
"I don't mind. I grew up on a farm remember? I know all about planting things," she laughed.

Alex frowned at Gene as she stood up and grabbed up the bags. "Why wouldn't Molly be okay?" she questioned. "She went home to do an essay," she shrugged and continued to frown at him as she put everything back into her car then took Sam from Gene and strapped him carefully into his car seat.

She leant against her car with her hand on her hip as she studied his face "What's wrong?"

"I don't know for certain that anything is wrong. But she may need you to talk to, you are her mother," he told her. "That's all I'm going to say. It's Molly's business."

He touched Alex's cheek. "I'll go over to the pub for a pint and then be home, give the two of you time to talk."

He climbed into the Quattro and drove away.

Alex watched Gene drive away curiously. What wasn't he telling her? She sighed and slipped into her car. She drove home wondering what he knew that she didn't.

Alex pulled up outside and got Sam out of the car and the bag of food Rowan had given her, then managed to hold onto the Sam's bag as she locked her car. She had to shift her things around to be able to open the door and went inside. She dumped the things in the kitchen and carried Sam into the front room where she spotted Molly and Whitney.

"Hey, girls," she smiled as she sat down on the armchair opposite them and rocked Sam.

Molly looked up briefly. "Heya."

Alex frowned and narrowed her eyes at Molly "What's up Molls?" she shot at her. Molly shrugged without looking at her mum. Alex frowned again. What was wrong? And why wasn't she saying? "Molls, if you don't tell me then I'm going to have to persuade Gene to tell me," she sighed.

Molly's head shut up and she frowned at Alex. How the hell did Gene know? "He doesn't know what he's talking about then," she snapped

Alex stood up and nodded her head at Sam's room "A word, Molly. Now," she said and stormed into her son's room. Molly rolled her eyes at Whitney and grudgingly rose and followed her mum. She shut the door and folded her arms "What?"

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\

Whitney watched Molly go and wondered if she shouldn't leave. And Mr. Hunt knew, too! He probably didn't think too much of her now. She sighed. She was never going to drink again!

She eyed the ice cream and put her spoon down. What she'd eaten earlier sat like a lump in her stomach.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\

Alex placed Sam in his bed and placed her hands on her hips. "How about you tell me what's got you so upset?" she demanded. Molly sagged against the door. She was going to have to say. It was the only way to get her mum off her back. "Peter kissed Whit last night," she mumbled.

Alex's face dropped. "Oh, Molls," she gasped and folded her daughter into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry," she said as she cupped Molly's face. "You've made up with Whitney though?" she noted. Molly nodded. "I'm angry at Peter."

Molly took her Mum's hands from her face. "I'm fine Mum," she said. "Honestly," she confirmed and smiled reassuringly. "How does Gene know?" she asked curiously.

Alex shrugged. "He just said that I should go home and check on you. He had that look, you know the one," she said and imitated it. Molly chuckled and shook her head. "No, it's more like this," she retorted and did a better imitation of her step-dad. Alex laughed and grinned at her. She opened the door. "Go on."

Molly left Sam's room with Alex behind her and went to sit down next to Whitney. Alex grabbed Sam's bag and took back to his room and shut the door behind her. Sam needed feeding.

"Is everything okay?" Whitney asked her curiously? "I should get home," she said uncertainly. She pulled Molly into a hug. "I promise, I'll keep well away from him. He's really gutted you know. Molly, he's in love with you," she whispered and let Molly go.

Molly stood and watched Whitney leave. She was a little shocked to say the least. Peter was in love with her? Seriously? She shook her head and went back to the sofa and grabbed the remaining ice cream and the spoon

/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\

Alyssa chuckled at the pair of them as she reached for her bag of tamales and looped it around her wrist. She smiled at Rowan. "That makes one of us. I haven't got a clue. It's just shoving seeds into the ground right?" she grinned and shrugged at Jack. "Can't be too difficult."

Rowan laughed. "Well, a bit more than that but that's the basic idea. Let me know if you need any help, I can come over when I've locked up here," she told Alyssa and gave her a hug.

"We definitely will call if need be," he told Rowan and gave her a squeeze too. "Thanks for the tamales," he added and pulled on his coat. "Do you think your father would want to help with the garden stuff?" he asked Alyssa as he led her out to the car.

Alyssa shrugged. "Who knows. He normally did the garden though. So, maybe if I bribe him," she grinned and raised the bag of tamales. "I may be inclined to share these with him if he does," she chuckled.

"I don't think you'd have to bribe him with any of your precious tamales, if you just ask and make sure it's because you want his help and it's father-daughter sort of time well, I think he'll jump at it," Jack told her as he drove her home.

Alyssa shrugged. "Maybe, we'll see, only problem with asking Dad is he's very OCD about gardening. Everything has to be done properly, which is why I never got involved," she explained.

"Now, you'll have to show me the plans you drew up when we get home so we can take it with us tomorrow because I don't remember what you wanted. You might want to ask you dad's opinion on your ideas, maybe we can take him with us in the morning, if he's not too hungover after drinking with Patrick."

She nodded. "They're in my bedside draw in the green folder," she told him as she got out of the car. She was glad that her Dad had got some friends in Walford. She got inside and handed him the bag of tamales then, ran upstairs to get the green folder and brought it down for him.

"Well, we can just see. You can at least ask him a bit of advice, make him feel a little involved," Jack suggested.

Jack took the tamales and put them in the fridge. He took the folder from her and looked it over.

"Yeah, he'll surely see your ideas are best. More versatility with these large planting boxes," he told her agreeably.

Alyssa shrugged "I just liked the larger ones. They look nicer than the smaller ones, especially when they're filled," she grabbed the kettle and filled it. "Besides, if I don't know exactly what I want before we go, then I'll end up buying something that we don't actually need."

Jack got up and put his arms around Alyssa's waist.

"Well, I like the larger ones, too, so there," he told her. He held up the plan and looked at it. "What if we got one of those little bistro sets, so when the weather gets nice, you know, sort of warm, we could sit and have coffee and look at the garden," he suggested.

Alyssa looked out the kitchen window and into the darkening garden outside. She chewed her lip as she tilted her head and thought. "We could put it on the little patio, and, it gives you somewhere to sit when you go outside to smoke," she added with a smile as she turned her head to look at him. She grinned "And when you get all old and decrepit and you're legs can't hold your weight then you don't have to stand," she smiled cheekily.

"Old and decrepit?" he howled at her. "Old? I'll show you old, woman!" he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

"Go on, call me old," he dared her and began to stride over to the stairs. He grabbed the rail and went up the stairs halfway before stopping. "Am I still old?" he asked her and gave her backside a swat.

Alyssa curled her hands into his shirt as she held on. "I didn't call you old!" she retorted. "I said you would be old!" she explained as she looked at the floor, and the steps he had climbed. She gulped and raised her body up as much as she could so she could almost see his face. "But yes, you are old," she grinned mischievously at him.

Jack snorted a laugh and put her down.

"Fine, in that case, you better make me some cocoa and I'm going to bed," he told her and walked into the bedroom quickly so she wouldn't see the smirk on his face.

Alyssa rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself. She turned back around and went downstairs. The kettle had boiled once she got back downstairs and she made him what he had asked for with a grin. She shut the folder of garden plans, then made her way upstairs again. She smiled at him as she handed him the mug. "Here you go, granddad."

Jack threw his head back and laughed.

"Just for that, you're not getting any, missus," he told her tartly and went into the bedroom, blowing on his cocoa as he went. He stretched out on the bed, took a sip and picked up the remote to turn on the telly.

Alyssa smiled to herself, life with Jack would never be boring she decided as she followed him inside and kicked off her shoes. She crawled onto the bed next to him and picked up her laptop, she needed to do some last minute changes to the new spreadsheets before the official reopening on Wednesday. She finished making her final adjustments and put the laptop back under the bed, she slipped off, changed into her pyjamas and slid under the bedcovers and snuggled into his side. It had been a tiring and eventful day. They would be shopping tomorrow so she would need sleep, especially if they actually made a start on the garden.

/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\

Rowan waved at them and closed the door. She swallowed hard and turned back to clear the rest of the dishes from the table. She looked at Ray and gnawed her lip nervously as she stood there with her hands full of plates and cutlery.

"So, um...are you leaving too?" she asked quietly and hoped the answer was no. She looked over at him and tried to keep her expression neutral.

Ray looked up from his plate of food and swallowed. He gestured for her to take a seat and pulled out the one next to him for her. He waited for her to sit and dropped down his cutlery. "I caught Ronnie kissing some bloke in the middle of the street earlier," he confided brokenly.

Rowan looked at Ray in confusion as he gestured her to sit. She put the things down that she'd picked up and looked at him.

She put her hands to her mouth and gasped at what he told her. She opened her mouth and closed it again. What could she say? She took his hand.

"I'm...I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say," she told him helplessly.

Ray squeezed her hand. "Neither did I when she saw that I'd seen her throw herself at him. I just turned and walked off. She's staying with Roxy tonight," he sighed. "I miss her Ro. It's like she doesn't want me anymore. She keeps telling me that she loves me but what am I supposed to think when I see her all over some other bloke in the middle of the street?" he asked helplessly. Every time he closed his eyes he saw that image. It hurt.

Rowan rubbed his hand.

"I'm sure she still wants you, Ray. I've had lots of friends and relatives who were pregnant and all of them went through weird times. She's not packed up and left and she's not asked you to leave. She's going through an emotional roller-coaster right now, but she's doing it, because it will pass and then she'll be back to something resembling normal. She's going through it because she's having your baby, Ray and so, she's doing it for you," Rowan tried to reassure and worked hard to keep the pain from her voice at her inability to do the same for Chris.

"Kissing some random guy, well, she's maybe starting to get self-conscious about the pregnancy and her looks. I don't know, I can only guess, I hardly have personal experience to speak from," she said, the edge of bitterness creeping into her voice. She closed her mouth tight and looked down.

She closed her eyes tightly and then took a deep breath and looked up at him.

"She wouldn't give up someone like you, Ray," she said quietly and put a hand on his cheek. She wanted him so much it hurt. She swallowed against the heaviness in her chest and slowly let go of his hand.

"You should go to her. She's probably staying away to give you time to cool down. You should go and talk to her," she advised, the words were like ashes in her mouth.

Ray looked at her. If Ronnie was feeling so down then why push him away? She was beautiful. He had ways of showing her that she was beautiful, if she wouldn't believe his words. But she wouldn't let him. She wouldn't let him anywhere near her. All he wanted was to hold her. But he wasn't even allowed to do that anymore. She kept pushing him away and freezing him out. He wasn't okay with it, but he could deal with it. He accepted it. Until he saw her hurling herself into that man and kissing him the way that she hadn't kissed him in days. He missed her dreadfully. It hurt before when she had pushed him away, a small dull pain that he could ignore, but now, now it hurt even more: It had intensified. He felt...broken. Like a plaything that it's owner no longer wanted.

His eyes levelled with Rowan's as she dropped his hand. She wanted him. He could see it. He could almost feel it. He wanted to feel needed, wanted, the way he felt when Ronnie used to crave him. Rowan could do that. She had done it before, he just hadn't properly realised that the reason he couldn't resist her was because she gave him what Ronnie wouldn't. He loved Ronnie, so very much, but he had a hole, he needed to fill it. Rowan could do that, she had done before. It would work again, wouldn't it?

His hand reached out automatically, before he could stop and chastise himself, and it cupped her cheek as he crashed his lips onto hers.

Rowan kissed him back hard, hardly able to believe he was staying. She realized where they were and broke off the kiss.

"I need to lock the door," she said hurriedly and jumped up to do just that. She turned around and walked back over to him. She stacked the other dishes she'd picked up on top of his empty plate and picked them all up, then put them back down again.

She looked at Ray and took his hand. "Let's go," she said softly and led him upstairs, making sure to turn off the lights to the restaurant as she went. Once they were upstairs and in the bedroom she stepped away from him and began to remove her clothes, then pulled on her dressing gown when she'd finished.  
"I want to show you something," she told him and went and grabbed JT's spare robe and handed it to Ray. "Get changed," she said and then turned back to the dresser and opened a drawer. She pulled out two tall, white pillar candles and placed them on the dresser and lit them. She turned to Ray and watched him finish undressing and then pulling on the dressing gown. She took his hands and sat him on the bed and then stood back near the dresser again.

"Now, I want you to look at me and tell me what you see, if anything. Let your gaze sort of, unfocus, a bit like if you were to stare off into space. Do you know what I mean? So, anyway, just look and tell me when or if you see anything and what you see," she gave him a soft smile. "Just humor me and try it."

Ray sat, confused, where Rowan had placed him and did as she said. He had no idea what she was up to, but did as she said and humoured her. He rubbed his eyes and looked at her as he deliberately unfocused his gaze. Everything went a little blurry, especially the light from the candles. That couldn't be right. He shook his head, shut his eyes and tried again. "I'm either hallucinating or imagining it," he spoke out-loud to her. But he did it again. This was bizarre. He refocused his gaze and looked directly at her. "Colour," he told her. "Lots and lots of colour, but it's not constant."

Rowan's eyebrows went up. He'd seen it that quickly? She went over to him.

"Stop trying now," she told him. "That's my aura that you saw. That's how I know things. I see them and if I'm in physical contact, I can feel them. It doesn't happen all the time. Some people don't radiate much, or at all a lot of the time. But that's how I knew Ronnie was pregnant. I saw it, I felt it. Mostly, I try not to. It can be inconvenient and sometimes overwhelming."

She reached out her hand and took one of his and laced her fingers with his. She let a little of what she was feeling slip away, sharing a tiny portion with him. The surprise, and the quiet joy that he could do this and she could show him.

"Don't push it, just let it happen. I'd say avoid doing it most of the time, it can be very distracting. I grew up with it. You didn't. However, I made a promise to you that I would show you, to help you with Ronnie. I didn't expect you to be able to do that so quickly or so strongly. That's impressive. So, I've kept my part of the bargain."

She unlaced her fingers and let go his hand and smiled at him.

"So?"

Ray furrowed his brow at her as he tried to think. Aura? She had taught him how to see an aura? He shivered, it was strange, weird, he could see how it could be distracting. It had been bizarre, flashes of colour dancing around her, different colours, but not always visible. Only if he focused, no unfocused! He shook his head, so confusing. He pushed it out of his mind and looked back up at her.

"It's really, really strange. Amazing," he assured her. "But still, very strange."

"Now, we know you can see and feel them and you know how. If you need to know what Ronnie is feeling, you can use that to help you. Just clear you mind and touch her, relax and it will happen eventually. And you may want to just try to feel rather than see it. But don't think it will fix everything, misunderstandings can still happen. But you'll know how she's feeling and that will help I hope."

She leaned slightly, slipping her hands inside the dressing gown he was wearing and over his shoulders. She kissed her way up his neck and put her lips to his ear.

"I'm ready for you to ravage me, now," she whispered. "And don't be gentle about it either," she gave a low husky chuckle.

Ray smiled at her words and pulled her closely to him, he stood off the bed with his arms still around her and lifted her up, he wound her legs around his waist and pulled her dressing gown off her, then shrugged out of his own and fell with her onto the bed.

/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\

JT went into the pub and headed upstairs. He looked around and heard the voices from the front room and walked to the doorway and knocked on the doorframe to let Roxy and her sister know he was there.  
"Sorry to interrupt. Can I talk to you for a minute, Roxy?" he asked.

Roxy opened her mouth to answer Ronnie when she heard his voice behind her. She turned her head to look at him and nodded slowly. She looked back at Ronnie. "Will you watch Amy for me please, Ron?" she asked as she stood.

Amy looked up as she heard JT's voice and beamed. "JayTeeee," she laughed and made towards him. Roxy stopped her. "In a minute Amy. Mummy needs to talk to JT first honey," she said and kissed her forehead. "Play with Auntie Ronnie." She let go of her daughter and turned back to JT. "Kitchen."

Ronnie nodded and waved Roxy off. She closed the door after them so Amy wouldn't follow and then stretched out on the floor with Amy and began to color with her.

JT followed Roxy to the kitchen.

"Look, I'm sorry to sound so judgemental, but, sakes alive I've never seen...you scared me a bit and I just didn't know what to think. Rowan chewed me out something rotten for jumping the gun and saying what I said to you but, well..." he trailed off and sighed.

Roxy leant against the fridge as he spoke. She frowned. "You didn't say it though, did you JT! You wrote it in a note and left that for me to find. And scared you? I just had a few drinks with my best mate!" she replied incredulously.

"Roxy, you had a lot more than a few! I thought you were going to kill yourself the amount you two were drinking. Even Syed looked shocked. But Roxy, it wasn't just the drinking, you...the way you were all over all these strange men on the dance floor. Even Christian danced with Syed. I ceased to exist for you. I sat there and watched you make a spectacle of yourself and I just felt...unwanted," he shrugged.

"I thought I should leave before you showed me the pasture gate."

Roxy shook her head. "I'm sorry, JT, but that's how I am when I get drunk! I can't help it. It's always been like that. And it was New Year, I was entitled to celebrate which is why we went out in the first place," she reminded him. "And I'm sorry okay! But that's just the way I am!"

Pasture gate? Sometimes his little phrases confused her but she had an idea what he meant. "I'm assuming that you thought I was going to chuck you out? Why on earth would I do that JT! You're like, the perfect guy! You love my daughter even though she isn't yours, you're gentle, decent, kind, strong, generally lovely and honest, you have an adorable accent and even if I don't understand what you're saying all the time, I try to figure out what you mean. I'd be an idiot to chuck you out," she finished a little out of breath.

"Considering how you were acting with all those other guys and ignoring me, what was I to think? I sure don't feel like the perfect guy. You made me feel like I didn't matter at all. I would never act like that, flirting with other girls, throwing myself at them, right in front of you or at any time for that matter. If I really mean that much to you, then next time, you throw yourself all over me, and not every other guy in the room," JT told her. "I don't think that's asking too much."

Roxy held back her smile as she studied his face. Next time? He had said next time "So you're not leaving then?" she asked tentatively as she watched him curiously. Ronnie was right: she really would be an idiot if she left him.

JT folded his arms and looked at her. She really was one fetching filly.

He snaked an arm out around her waist and pulled her to him. His hand came up and he traced a finger down her cheek, letting it trail down her neck and to her chest, where it stopped.

"I grew up with an older brother, he was the perfect one. He got everything he wanted. I don't resent him, I worshipped him too and he never lorded it over me," he put his face close to hers. "When I finally get something, I'm not minded to share, not at all. So, if we're gonna work at all, I won't talk against your occasional forays with your friend, but draping yourself over other men, no, I can't abide that. Can you give me that much?"

He looked into her big blue eyes. He really was crazy for this feisty little creature.

/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Ronnie bit her lip with a grin at what she overheard and quietly closed the door. If Roxy was smart, she'd make that one small promise. Ronnie sat on the couch and toyed with the Key and railed at the one thing that was bringing her such joy but such pain. She and Ray were going to have a baby. Everything should be wonderful! Instead, it was tearing everything apart.

What was she going to do? She kept seeing his face, even when she'd tried to explain, blank like stone. It made her heart hurt just thinking about the coldness in his blue eyes, his eyes she loved to look at so much. She should have just gritted her teeth and borne it. What was a little missed sleep compared to losing him because she'd idiotically pushed him away.

And kissing that man! How foolish was she? But Ray, she never doubted his want for her. But there she was, feeling uncertain and oddly selfish. Needing to prove to herself that any man might find her attractive. How pathetic. That was almost as shallow as Roxy. She couldn't believe that she had sunk so low. And that Dr. Granger certainly hadn't deserved it. She could have got the man killed. She still wasn't entirely sure why Ray had walked away instead of beating the man to a pulp. Small favors.

She picked up her coke and took a drink, idly wishing hers also had something in it to take the edge off.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Roxy nodded at him with a huge smile and pressed her lips to his as her arms came around his neck and she pulled his face down to hers. She broke the kiss with a grin. "I think that I can manage that," she assured him as the smile broke her face once more and she kissed him lightly. "You'd better tell Amy you're staying," she advised him. "She thinks you've left like Ronnie did."

JT smiled down at her and nodded.

"I think I can manage that," he slipped his arm around Roxy's waist and walked with her to the front room. He nodded at Ronnie who gave him a distracted smile and then picked up Amy.

"Is it storytime?" he asked the little girl and winked at Roxy. He leaned over to her ear. "I'll put this one down, give you two some privacy."

He kissed her cheek and took Amy into her room to tell her a story and put her to bed.

Ronnie watched him go.

"So, all fixed then?" she asked her sister.

Roxy picked up her glass of coke and sipped it as she heard the low murmur of JT's voice and Amy's small interruptions. She smiled at Ronnie. "All fixed," she nodded back.

"Lucky you, I hope my problems are so easily fixed," Ronnie remarked and sighed sadly. She really should go home, if JT was back Ronnie wasn't sure she wanted to stay.

"I should just go home, in case he comes back tonight. I might get a chance to explain. Besides, JT's here and well, awkward," Ronnie grinned.

Roxy frowned at her. "Are you sure? You know there's always room for you here, Ron," she offered. "Your room is still empty," she added hopefully.

"No, I know, but I want to be there if he comes back."

Ronnie gave her sister a long hug. She pulled away, gave her a small smile and pulled on her coat and headed home. Ray wasn't there but she wasn't surprised somehow. If JT was with Roxy then that meant Chris and Rowan had spare room. Ray would have gone there. She pulled out her phone and thought about calling him, then put her phone away.

She sighed and got ready for bed, climbing into the bed they normally shared.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Whitney walked home feeling relieved. Molly wasn't holding what happened against her, but she was sure Peter wouldn't be too happy to find out Whitney had told Molly how he felt. She was pretty sure he'd meant it in confidence, but Molly needed to hear it, needed to know that there would never and could never be anything between her and Peter. He was just a mate as far as Whitney was concerned.

The kiss hadn't been all that thrilling if she was being honest. She shrugged and pulled her coat tighter. Soon, she'd be at school and too busy doing something she wanted to do to worry about boys, not that she still didn't want to have one of her own.

Peter looked up as Whitney came in the house.

"Hey, Whit," he greeted her.

"Hey, Pete, look, you should know, I...I told Molly. She's my best mate I had to, especially since it didn't mean anything."

Peter looked down. "Great, no wonder she won't talk to me."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you, yeah? She forgave me. She knows it was nothing. I made sure she understood that. So don't give up. Just give her time, yeah," Whitney advised and went up to her room.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Bradley got to the club and saw Janine on her own.

"Where's Ffion?"

"Well, she was here," Janine blustered and looked at her watch. "She said she couldn't stay long because her brother was coming back. She must have gone. I'm sorry, it's not my fault!"

Bradley frowned and shook his head and left the club, Janine gaping after him. The nerve! she huffed.

He caught a cab outside and took it to where Ffion lived. He stood outside and looked up at the building. No lights on. And he couldn't see Rhys' car anywhere. Very strange. He went up and pressed the buzzer.

Bradley frowned when there was no answer. Ffion was clearly avoiding him or Janine was messing him around, he wasn't sure which. He stalked home.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/

Whitney woke up and practically bounded from bed. She was starting school today. She could barely contain her excitement. She got ready and dressed and looked at her new hair with a smile. She brushed and dried it and got dressed. She looked at the streaks and smiled. She knew people thought it extreme, but she didn't care. She liked it. She grabbed her portfolio and her bag with her laptop and headed downstairs.

She flipped on the kettle and dropped bread in the toaster.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ffion slipped out of the B&B rushed home to creep into the flat. She closed the door as quietly as possible to sneak into her room. She could hear her brother's light snores so at least he wasn't awake. She breathed a small sigh of relief.

Jack slammed his hand on the alarm, trying not to wake up Alyssa. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and got up and started getting ready for school. He went quietly downstairs to put the coffee on and make some toast. He went into the garden and sat down to smoke. The garden would look good when spring came, he thought. And Gerald had ended up being helpful and didn't try to take over. Jack had been grateful for that.

He finished his cigarette and went back inside to eat.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ray breathed in deeply as he woke up and kept his eyes closed. He looked at Ronnie as she lay next to him, he was glad that she had moved back into the same bed as him, even if he had promised not to hold her at night. They kept to their separate sides of the bed, Rowan's advice and teaching him how to see and feel other people's auras had helped a lot: he understood from her moods how to behave and, it seemed that their relationship was a little stronger because of it. He lay still and just watched her as she slept, he had forgiven her for kissing that bloke, and was happy. He was just happy that she was still with him. He brushed a lock of hair off her forehead and brushed his lips over her temple before dragging himself from their bed.

Ronnie rolled over and flung her arm onto Ray's side of the bed, her eyes opening when she encountered empty space. She sighed and stretched. She felt...different...today. It had been horrible since New Year. She'd nearly lost Ray and couldn't believe it when he'd come home the next morning and had forgiven her. She'd fallen against him and wept with relief.

She'd been doing as she'd planned, making up missed sleep after Ray had left for work, but she felt rested today. She felt fantastic, if she was being honest. She lifted her pajama top and ran her hand over her belly and smiled. She was starting to show, only a little, but still.

She got out of bed and padded into the kitchen. She eyed him as he stood there with his back to her then tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned, she pulled her shirt up over her belly and grinned at him.

"Look," she told him and grabbed his hand and put it on her belly. She bounced on her toes, barely able to contain her excitement. "I feel so good today," she enthused and pressed her back against his front and leaned against him, keeping his hand on the baby. "I love you," she trilled and sighed at the feel of him against her back. She liked being close to him again. She was so glad. She'd missed being held.

"I have my doctor's appointment today. At least this one hasn't been rescheduled," she remarked, unable to keep annoyance from her voice. She was supposed to have gone in the day after New Year, but they'd called her that morning and postponed her. "It's at 11, will you come?" she turned in his arms and faced him. "I mean, you don't have to stay for the whole exam, but we'll get to hear the heartbeat, and talk to the doctor after the you know, exam part is done," she added.

Ray smiled down at her, she didn't seem to mind being close to him. He was glad, but didn't intend to push his luck. He placed an arm around her waist and the other cupped her cheek "I'll come with you, just need to clear it with the Guv," he chuckled and kissed her forehead the wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. He sighed as he let her go. "Are you eating today?" he questioned as he let her go and turned back to the kettle.

He grabbed down their mugs and set them on the counter, he turned and looked at her again, she had got bigger, the bump on her tummy was a little more defined he noticed as he studied her. "I'll stay for the whole thing," he added with a shrug.

Ronnie looked up from rubbing her small bump and let her top drop back down.

"Yes, one thing I haven't had is morning sickness," she rolled her eyes and snorted. "One thing."

She glanced at him as she put bread in the toaster and walked over to him after pushing down the lever. "You won't want to be in the room the whole time, trust me, there are some things you don't want to see," she told him seriously. She stroked a hand down his cheek and kissed him. "But it will be nice if you can make it and we'll be able to get signed up for the classes too," she remarked as she turned back to the toaster. She frowned and bit her lip and turned back to look at him.

"Or should I pick someone else to be my birthing partner," she asked him and gave a small chuckle as she gazed at him. "I could ask Roxy or Aunty Peg instead if you like."

She wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle the birth.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly rolled out of bed with a grin, she reached for her phone and fired off a text to Peter.

"WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD!"

She ran to get a shower as quick as she could, no way was she being late for the first day back after Christmas, she had missed the hustle and bustle of school.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shaz heard the front door close softly, again. 3rd time this week. She knew what Ffion was up to, she had caught her early one morning and had got the truth out of her. But Gerald? She had promised Ffion that she wouldn't tell Rhys, she felt so torn, the whole reason for Fee living here was so that they could monitor this behaviour and ultimately, put a stop to it. That seemed to have backfired. Although, it wasn't as if Ffion was sleeping with a different guy every night: it was the same one, night after night after night. She rolled over as she heard the soft noises settle and finally stop altogether. She looked at Rhys' face and sighed. She was torn, but she would keep her promise, she wouldn't tell on Fee.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Peter got out of the bathroom and went to his room and saw his phone flashing. He picked it up and chuckled as he read the text from Molly.

"Already am! Ready to eat so there! x" he sent back and went downstairs.

"Heya, Whit. Looks like you're all ready for school."

"Yeah, really excited too and scared and nervous and oh, boy, I hope I don't mess this up," she whined.

"You'll be fine. How you getting there?"

"Oh, B decided to book Charlie to take me there for my first day. So I'll know where it is," Whitney imitated Bianca. "Like, she forgot I've already been there twice, innit. I know where I'm going." Whitney rolled her eyes. "But there's no telling B that," she shrugged and finished her toast and gulped down the last of her tea.

"Where's Fats? Is he still sleeping?"

"I think so," Peter replied. Whitney grabbed the money belt for the stall and bounded upstairs.

"Oy! Fats, don't forget you're on the stall today you lazy git!" she called through the door. "You got one hour!"

She headed back down after hanging the belt from his doorknob and grabbed her things.

"Right, I'm off, wish me luck!"

"Luck!" Peter called after her and turned to finish making his tea.

Whitney hurried out and climbed into Charlie's cab.

"Hiya, Charlie, and thanks. Sorry B bullied you. She just forgot I already know where I'm going, but I appreciate it."

"I don't mind, Whitney, didn't have much else going on today and it'll be nice to go and see a bit of town."

Whitney grinned and settled back in the seat. One good thing, she thought as she unzipped her portfolio and began to go through her project, it was much easier to do this in a cab than on the tube. She occupied her time looking everything over and put it all away when he pulled up to the school.

"Thanks again, Charlie," she called and waved as he gave her a quick nod and drove off.

She turned and looked at all the people filing into the school. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath and joined the stream of people and tried to look as confident as the others. She wandered through the corridor and found herself in the student union. She looked at her watch and pulled her schedule from her laptop bag and saw the campus map on the wall. She realized she wasn't far from her first class and decided she had time for a quick cup of tea before she went.

She joined the queue while it was short, giving a quick smile to others around her when they glanced at her and calmly ordered tea. She sat down at a small table not too far from the door and pretended to be engrossed in reading her schedule while watching the ebb and flow of students around her.

Whitney finished her tea and headed to her first class. She kept her hands clutched around the handles of her portfolio to fight the urge to grab her hair. It wasn't long anymore. She couldn't toy with it when she was nervous now. She looked over the room and chose a table slightly to one side in the second row. Close enough, but not too close. She pulled a notebook and pen from her laptop bag and then pulled the text on the desk over and began to page through it.

She surreptitiously watched the other students file in and quickly pulled out her phone and sent a text to Molly.

"In 1st class of day. So nervous! Hope I do well :S"

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ffion crept to her room and closed her door before dropping onto her bed with a sigh. It was too close today. They were going to have to shorten their time, but she liked cuddling up after, and she got so comfortable she fell asleep. She'd already been caught by Shaz once. She'd managed to persuade Shaz to keep it secret when she confided it was only one person she was meeting, not a string of men.

The look on Shaz' face when she'd admitted it was Alyssa's dad, Gerald. But she'd agreed to keep it from Rhys, at least for now. Ffion would tell him when the time was right. He'd been here now, what, two weeks? And he didn't seem to be making plans to go home anytime soon. Ffion was sure he was staying. Surely it was only a matter of time before he began divorce proceedings from that horrible cold woman he'd married. Then she and Gerald could get a lovely little flat together. She fell onto her back and stared at the ceiling and smiled.

He'd never said, but she was sure he was falling for her. He had to be!

The real problem was Bradley had stepped up pursuit as well. Why wouldn't he leave her alone! She'd flat out told him she wasn't interested and yet, still, he persisted. She blew out a breath.

And Janine, that one was getting on her nerves as well and cutting into her quality time with Gerald. She still made plans and got together with her, but it was becoming harder and harder to get away and meet with Gerald. And she hated spending money that could go towards her share of paying for their nights at the B&B on drinking. Fortunately, a fond smile and a bit of cleavage meant she and Janine rarely bought their own drinks, but still!

She turned her head and looked at her clock. She needed to start getting ready for work. Mondays were busy and it was best to go in early. She hauled herself up and yawned as she headed for the shower.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan unwillingly unwrapped herself from Chris and went to make her morning coffee. She was glad he was home nights again. She'd practically kissed Hale when he and his wife had come walking into the restaurant for some food to take home when they'd got back. But Nora's sister was out of hospital so they'd come home, finally.

She leaned on the counter and watched the coffee maker and sighed. She loved having Chris back in bed every night and though she enjoyed it, there was still that little something missing. She put her face in her hands and wished that first night with Ray had never happened. Then she wouldn't know what was missing. JT had promised to talk to Chris, but she wasn't sure he'd managed it yet. And really, how would he go about it?

She'd tried asking, hinting, but he always said the same thing: "I'm not going to hurt you," which wasn't what she was asking for and he seemed to be deliberately misunderstanding what she was asking. He seemed to be trying to reassure her that he wasn't going to hurt her rather than refusing. She'd tried again to mesh with him and had failed. She was sure it had something to do with the beginning of their relationship. It had been tainted by her experiences with Brian. So the first few times she'd been able to create that bond with Chris, she wouldn't have realized what was possible. Now, things were set and she couldn't seem to change things.

And she kept stumbling over thoughts of Ray when she didn't expect it. She knew she brightened when he was around. She truly enjoyed that she was able to joke with him the way she joked with Jack. It was so comfortable. He'd truly become a good mate over the past couple weeks.

Their final night together had been...truly memorable. She swallowed hard and tried not to think of it. She was going to have to be baking and such distractions could cause food to get burned and she wasn't in the mood to have to redo something because of that. She closed her eyes and tried to push the sound of Ray's voice out of her head. That wonderful, lust-filled purr that had made her very bones vibrate as he'd told her what he wanted her to do to him and what he intended to do to her. She shivered and pushed it all away and took a deep, cleansing breath. That was all over now.

Ray surely wasn't thinking of her and she had to figure out how to sort things with Chris. She scrubbed at her face and fixed her cup of coffee before taking a shower and getting dressed for the day.

She waved at JT as he came into the restaurant a short time after she got the ovens going. He grinned at her and poured himself some coffee as he shoved his keys back in his pocket.

"Any luck yet?" he asked her, his tone slightly smug as it so often seemed to be anymore.

Rowan gave him a sour look and began setting out the mixing bowls.

"No, I thought you were going to talk to him. I can't seem to get through to him."

"And how do I go about that exactly? I've been trying to think of a way but, dang, Ro," he shrugged helplessly.

"What about guy talk? I know you men talk about sex, I'm not stupid. Surely you give each other advice of some sort, don't you? I know women do. 'Oh, so and so, I tried this on him last night and oh wow,'" Rowan rattled off. "So, the friends all try it out on their partners."

"Yeah, but not all women have your past," he pointed out.

Rowan growled in frustration. "I know. How do I show him what's possible? Show him that it won't hurt me."

"I don't know," JT admitted and started on the pastry dough.

"Of course not," Rowan muttered as she began to mix up the batter for muffins. It began to occur to her that maybe it wasn't happening because she simply didn't incite such great lust in Chris. She lifted her head and blinked. How had that not occurred to her before? Maybe it wasn't that Ray was simply overwhelming. What if it was that she simply didn't make Chris lose all control? She furrowed her brow and stared at the wall before dragging her attention back to the task before her. She pushed her thoughts aside, she'd deal with them later.

Rowan managed to clear her mind and had Jane's things ready when Christian and Syed showed up. She gave them both a bright smile and turned back to the phone.

"Okay, Ginger, you have to repeat that. Okay...okay...got it. No, I've already told Mr. Hunt I don't mind doing these breakfasts for you as long as you come pick them up. Well surely there won't be this many every day. No, I'm not complaining, it just helps to have a bit of fair warning. Yes, give me an hour. Bye."

Rowan carried the paper with the order on it back to the kitchen and looked at JT and Syed. "Tell me it was a good idea to offer to cater breakfast to Walford's finest," she begged and shook the paper.

JT and Syed grinned at her.

"Course it was a good idea," JT reassured and Syed nodded. Syed came over and took the paper and hung it up so they could get started while Rowan went to flip the sign to open.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jack eyed Gerald as he came in.

"Late night with Patrick again?" Jack asked him curiously. "Or, is there a woman?"

He took a sip of his tea and watched Gerald over the rim of his mug.

Gerald rubbed his hand over his face and stared at Jack, studying his face for a moment. He furrowed his brow.

"Don't tell Alyssa, the last thing I want is another of her explosions."

"She'll hear nothing from me. But you want to be careful or she'll get suspicious. Especially since you don't look or smell like you've been drinking all night. Also, you might push her into having a go at Patrick."

Jack fixed two cups of tea and handed one to Gerald before sitting back down to finish his toast.

"I assume it's Ffion?"

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly came out of her bathroom and dried her hair with a towel as she walked. She smiled at Peter's text and rolled her eyes at him. She left her hair damp as she dressed then hurriedly packed her bag. She listened to the silent house and sighed, she was going to have to make some noise. She cringed as she turned her hair dryer on.

Alex looked up as she heard the sound suddenly burst through the wall that separated their room from Molly's. She tensed, ready to get up if Sam started to cry. The hair dryer stopped and Alex relaxed, it seemed her son was too exhausted from waking up and demanding attention at 5 different times during the night. A new record. She rolled onto her side and curled into Gene after checking the time, Molly wasn't going to need a lift to Peter's for at least another hour. Why she had got up so early baffled Alex.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Fatboy groaned and threw back an incoherent comment. Whitney went to school today he remembered as he rubbed his forehead. He was officially in charge of the stall. He grinned and kicked himself into action.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gene rolled over and wrapped his arms around Alex.

"Five times last night, I think that's a record," Gene mumbled into her shoulder. He raised himself up to look at the clock and grimaced. "Suppose I'm dropping her at Peter's on the way in so she can go to school?" he asked rhetorically and pressed a soft kiss to Alex's lips before climbing out of bed to get ready.

He wondered how much longer the all night waking would go on. Hale had kids, he'd ask him. If he didn't fall asleep and forget.

"Mmmmmmm," she mumbled. Alex automatically grabbed the part of the duvet that he had slept under towards her and wrapped it tightly around her, it was still warm from him. If she couldn't be wrapped in his arms then this was the next best thing.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Peter finished his breakfast and grabbed his bag and went to the cafe.

"Hey, Jane. Can you keep an eye on the chippy for me today?"

"Sure, Pete. You're not really going to leave school now to run it are you?"

Peter shrugged. "I don't know. I'll see if I can't talk to dad again and find out more about if or when he's coming back. Then I can decide."

Ffion finished getting dressed and ready for work. She walked into the kitchen and smiled brightly at Rhys who was finally up and scowling over his morning tea.

"Morning," she trilled brightly, earning a glare.

"Stop being so cheerful in the morning," he snapped at her and she turned away so he wouldn't see her struggling not to laugh.

"Of course, brother dear," she said and pulled down her box of tea. She dropped a tea bag in her mug and tested the kettle. Still hot. She fixed her tea and went back to her room so she wouldn't agitate her brother.

Shaz came out of the shower and went back to the bedroom. She dressed quickly and towelled her hair dry. She went out into the kitchen and heard the soft click of Ffion's bedroom door. She smiled at the sight of Rhys at the kitchen table and pouted mockingly at him. "Awwwwww, cheer up grumpy guts," she grinned at him.

Rhys frowned at Shaz and went to take a shower. He came back out feeling slightly improved and managed a small smile at Shaz.

Ffion breezed by heading off to work.

"Byeee," she called back as she went out the door.

She got to the cafe and grinned at Ginger and a couple of PCs who'd come to pick up some food.

Rowan breathed a sigh of relief and pushed an order book at Ffion.

"You go help those people and I'll get this finished," she said as she handed a box of food to one of the PCs. Ffion nodded and got to work.

Chris came out with one of the boxes and gave Rowan a quick kiss and headed out with the other officers. She gave them all a quick wave and hurried back into the kitchen.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ray frowned at her and chewed his lip. What the hell was a birthing partner? He filled two mugs with hot water from the kettle and made them both a cup of tea. He didn't watch any of that doctor soap rubbish that was on TV, but he didn't think that having a baby required more than the pregnant woman. Surely it just...came out?

"What does being a birthing partner involve?" he questioned as he handed her the mug and picked up his own

Ronnie took her mug and held back a giggle.

"Well, you have to be there and coach me through the birth, hold my hand, think you can handle that? Being there for the birth?"

She slipped an arm around his waist and raised her eyebrows at him.

"I'll understand if you don't think you can. I'm sure Roxy would jump at it."

"Coach you through the birth? Ronnie, you're hardly a football team," he shook his head at her. "But I promise that I'm not going to miss you giving birth to our baby," he smiled at her and kissed the tip of her nose. He grabbed the toast as it popped and grabbed the plates from the open cupboard. "Butter?" he asked her as he reached into the fridge and spread it over his own piece.

"You'll understand when we go to the class," she chuckled. "And trust me, if you don't think you'll be able to handle being in the room I don't mind."

She slid her toast towards him. "Go on, then."

She leaned against his back and slipped her arms around his waist and put her head on his shoulder. She'd missed getting to be close to him. She'd hated those days when she'd gone mental and had trouble being near him. She wished there was more time before he had to go to work so she could just be held.

Ray smiled at the gentle pressure of her against him, he would enjoy it while it lasted, there was no telling if or when she would go back to not wanting to touch him. He took her plate and spread a layer of butter over her slice of toast too. He turned and smiled at her as she was dislodged from him. He slipped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. yes, he thoroughly intended to enjoy this while it lasted. "Just butter? Or are you going to go crazy and have jam, too?"

She hissed in a breath. "Oooh, I don't know. Better stay simple with just the butter, I've had enough of crazy for now," she replied and kissed him. She put her arms around him and broke off the kiss and put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes with a sigh.

Ray rocked her gently from side to side as he held her. He rested his cheek against the top of her head. He knew that he would have to go to work soon, on time, if he was going to get time off to come to this scan with her then being late was not a good idea. He could eat his breakfast on his way to work though. It wasn't a problem.

Ronnie squeezed him tightly and then let go. She touched his cheek and kissed him again before letting him go. She knew he had to go to work.

"I'm going to take a cab, do you want me to swing by and pick you up? Say, 10:45?"

Ray nodded down at her with a smile. "I don't think the Guv will say no but no doubt he'll be asleep in his office anyway, so I can sneak out if I have to" he grinned at her and kissed her once before reaching behind him and grabbing his piece of toast. He bit into it heartily and munched as he watched her.

"Just say you're taking an early lunch," she said and started on her piece of toast. "You should pay attention to what he's doing now, that will be you about five months from now," she teased.

She glanced over at the clock. "You should go, don't want you to be late, or I will no doubt be blamed for it and I've not even done anything," she grinned at him. "I'll see you around 10:45, yeah?"

She leaned close and kissed him, long and slow and then pulled away and gave him a look full of promise.

"I'll see you later," she purred and walked with a light step to the bathroom.

Ray smiled to himself. He was more than glad that Ronnie seemed back to her old self again. He shoved the toast in his mouth, grabbed his coat and ran to work.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly sat down at the table with the radio on as low as it could be with her still being able to hear it. She had taken to wearing earplugs at night so that she could get a decent night's sleep. She looked up at the careful movements from behind the other bedroom door. She smiled as she recognised the sound of Gene's footsteps and continued to munch on her cereal as she waited for him to get ready to go. She looked down as her phone flashed and she read the text. She grinned.

"You'll b fine. Just b u! 3 x"

Gene came into the kitchen dressed and ready to go and fixed himself a cup of tea. He sat down at the table and sighed.

"Five times last night," he muttered. "Am I dropping you at Peter's?"

Molly swallowed her last spoonful as she nodded at him. "5? That's the most so far right?" she shook her head. "Now I'm really glad I got those earplugs!" she commented. "And yes, please," she grinned then picked up the bowl and used it like a cup as she swallowed the milk.

Molly put her bowl and spoon into the sink and grabbed up her bag after she made sure she had all of her books. She looked in on her mum to say goodbye but stopped short when she saw Alex curled up asleep snuggled in the duvet. She smiled and shut the door softly. She ran out of the house and smiled at Gene.

"Are you awake enough to drive?"

Gene frowned at her. "Course I am," he huffed and slid into the car. Once she got in, he drove her to the cafe and stopped so she could get out.

"There, you see, no trouble," he told her.

Molly chuckled and kissed his cheek as she got out of the Quattro. She waved him off and then turned round and made her way to the front door. She rang the bell insistently.

Peter came out of the cafe and went to his gate and opened it.

"Hey Molly, I was at the cafe," he said to her. "Shall we go?"

Molly swung around and smiled at him. She took his hand and nodded "So, how many teachers d'you reckon left over Christmas?" she grinned.

"Hopefully all of them," he replied. "I'm still debating if I should leave. Dad wants me to run the chippy and all, I don't know what to do sometimes."

He squeezed her hand and sighed and then glanced back.

"Fatboy better not forget about the stall or Whitney will be seriously mad at him," he remarked. "I can't get used to the hair."

Molly chewed her lip "Why don't you hire someone to work the chippy for you full time, pay them to manage it so you can get your grades. Then, after college you can see if you want to go into Uni or continue with your Dad's little enterprise," she suggested helpfully.

"I love Whit's hair. It looks so much better now than when it was long. The red is so cool, too. I love it!"

Whitney read Molly's reply and smiled and turned her attention to the lecture.

She was so relieved when lunchtime finally rolled around. She went to the caf and got herself a salad and went over her notes as she ate. The day was proving to be a challenge but she thought she would make it through. She ran a hand through her short hair and sighed.

Only a few more hours to go.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gerald pondered Jack's words. He usually got home before Alyssa woke up and generally stayed in bed until mid-morning because he was so tired. Falling asleep with Ffion last night at the B&B hadn't been planned at all but he couldn't say he hadn't liked it, even if it did mean it was risky coming home in case he bumped into either Alyssa or Jack. Fortunately, it had been Jack.

"Yes," he said blankly and yawned. "I'm going to bed before my darling daughter graces us with her presence," he added and nodded briefly at the younger man before leaving the kitchen.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa rolled onto her back and looked at the clock. She raised her eyebrows at the time. She had ages before she had to be at work. She sighed and frowned when she rolled over to cuddle into Jack and found him missing. Of course. First day back at school. He would want to be in early. She climbed out of bed, she wanted to see him before he left. She grabbed her dressing gown and covered herself in case her Dad was up and about and padded slowly downstairs. She smiled at the sight of Jack in the kitchen and went over to him.

"You all set?" she smiled as she kissed the top of his head and reached behind her for a mug.

Jack smiled up at Alyssa. "Yes, ready and rarin' to go," he said to her. He got up to put his plate in the sink and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her soundly.

"Have fun at work and I'll see you later," he said to her softly and headed out to his car.

Alyssa sighed as she watched him go and heard the sound of the car pull away and drive off. She wondered what he would be like when he got home tonight. She chuckled, either exhausted or pumped with adrenaline. She settled herself into her morning routine and cleaned up his breakfast things.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rhys looked at Shaz. "You going in with me? Ginger texted and there's breakfast there waiting. Apparently the Guv made some deal with Rowan for breakfast at the station."

He looked at Shaz. "Any idea why she's so chipper every morning? I thought she didn't like going out with Janine, but every morning she's disgustingly cheerful."

Shaz bit her lip and sighed as she sat down opposite him. Should she tell him? She had promised Fee that she wouldn't. He would...she didn't know how he would react. She tapped her fingers on the table "I'll come in with you," she agreed then frowned as she tried to find an answer. Once again she was caught in-between two people she loved. "Surely it can't be too bad that she's out all night if she comes back happy?" she told him cautiously.

"It's just very strange and..." Rhys broke off his reply to Shaz as he registered what she'd said. "What do you mean, out ALL night?" he demanded, his tone dark. "She's not supposed to be going out all night."

He sat very still, barely holding in his temper and stared at Shaz.

Shaz looked up sharply. Shit! She swallowed, she hasn't meant to say that. She opened her mouth to talk but couldn't get the words out. She cleared her throat, she hadn't seen him this angry before.

"It's just out with Janine, Rhys!" she lied to him. "She's a twenty-two year old girl! You can't expect her to have a curfew Rhys! It's totally unfair! You can't treat her like a child," she retorted as calmly as she could.

"She has a curfew because of what she's been doing. We're supposed to be watching her! And with Janine! That's even worse. You know what a slapper Janine is! She's not any kind of decent influence that's for sure," he ranted.

"How long, Shaz," he snapped as he got to his feet and shoved the chair away. "How long has this been going on, her going out all night?"

Shaz looked up at him and shrugged. "I don't know, Rhys. Honestly!" she told him earnestly. She wasn't lying. She actually didn't know how long Fee had been staying out all night. She only knew how long that she had known for. She watched him as she spoke, trying to keep her voice calm.

"It's not like she's sleeping around now though, is it! Please tell me that you've seen the change in her since we got back from Essex, because I certainly have. She acts different now, so maybe, Janine isn't the bad influence you think she is! Maybe it's a good thing that Ffion has someone that she can go out with whenever she wants to. So what if Janine's a bit of a tart? Ffion's happy, you yourself noticed the change in her in the mornings!" she argued.

"If she's out all night then it's not with some mate, besides, that explains why I overheard Janine complaining about an early night. It didn't strike me at the time. She's at it again!" he snarled and threw his tea mug against the wall.

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"I need to talk to that girl. And you should have told me, Shaz. I trusted you to help me with her," he said, his voice harsh from the sting of betrayal. "I'm going to work. I'll see you there," he said and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Shaz flinched as the shards of china flew through the air and Rhys slammed the door. If he had shut it any harder it would have probably flown off it's hinges. She shut her eyes tightly and resisted her urge to scream. This wasn't her fault!

"Oh, Fee," she muttered to herself as she lay her head in her arms on the table. She looked up at the small fragments of what used to be a teacup and stood, she reached for the broom and careful swept up the mess he had made. She discarded the pieces and ran a finger over the small dent in the wall. She wondered how Rhys would react when he found out who Fee was spending her evenings with.


	13. Chapter 13

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 13**

Rowan joked with JT and Syed in the kitchen, occasionally going out onto the floor to help Ffion. She glanced at the clock and knew James would be arriving soon. She'd been glad he'd agreed to work more during the week, breakfast and lunch had started getting busy and she needed the help.

Ffion was bouncy and cheerful, though Rowan was surprised to see that she wasn't flirting quite as much as she had before. In fact, Rowan had nearly dropped a cup when she heard Ffion refuse, but nicely refuse, to give her phone number to an exceptionally attractive man.

Something must be up with her, Rowan realized, but she was too busy to try and talk to her about it.

/\\\/\\\/\\\/\\\/\\\/\\\/\/\\/\\\/\\\

Gene got to the station and was glad to see Ginger passing out breakfast to everyone.

"Morning, Guv. We went and got breakfast from Rowan this morning. She wants to know if we're going to make orders this big every day though. I didn't know what to tell her. I think she just wants more preparation."

"Then call her earlier in the morning with the order. That's hardly a tough request, is it?" Gene shot back. He took the container Ginger handed him with his full English in it and stalked off to his office to eat.

Ginger shook his head and shrugged. Clearly not asking the Guv questions until the baby started sleeping through the night was a bad idea. He went back to handing out the breakfasts.

Ginger greeted Ray when he saw him come into the station and brought in a couple of containers of extra breakfasts.

"We've got a couple of breakfasts left, if you want one. The Guv made a deal with Rowan for breakfast. Everyone was going there and ending up late to work. Anyway," Ginger shrugged and put the styro containers down and went back to his desk.

He glanced at Rhys, whose face was like thunder. He wanted to ask but wasn't sure he should. He sat down and sent Rhys a message asking what was up, hoping it would prevent an outburst.

Ray grabbed a spare container and dug in as he set about working. That slice of toast had not filled him up at all.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Brett Aspinall slung his laptop bag out of his way as he turned from the counter and looked for somewhere to sit. With Henry Coates? No, he wasn't in the mood for a lecture on tech. He sighed, this was why he didn't eat here, there was nowhere to sit. But unfortunately, today he had no choice, it was either this, or starve. His gaze landed on a dark-haired girl on her own and his eyes lit up, he hadn't seen her around before, he would remember, she had very distinctive hair. Short with pretty red highlights. He weaved his way towards her casually and took the seat opposite her without a word. He placed down his tray, pulled out his laptop and waited for it to load. He looked over the top of it at her and gave her one of his boyish smiles.

Whitney glanced up from her notes as a nice looking guy sat across from her. She gave him a small, nervous smile and put her head back down as she took another bite of her salad. She supposed it would have been nice if he'd asked if he could sit but she'd noticed the place had filled up not too long after she'd sat down.

She turned the page of her notebook and sighed. She fished her phone out and sent off a text to Molly.

"Lunch now. Day nearly over. Think I'll make it."

Brett started to grow impatient with his laptop as it took it's time loading. He watched the girl opposite him with interest. She was pretty, he had noticed when she had looked up at him albeit for about a second, but long enough. He looked at his screen and glared at it in irritation. He looked back at the girl, she seemed busy, but he was bored.

"I'm Brett," he told her suddenly. "Brett Aspinall."

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ronnie took a leisurely shower and got ready for her appointment. She hated pelvic exams with a passion, but it was a necessary evil for this. She just hoped Ray would leave the room. She wasn't sure she could cope with having it done with Ray in the room.

She called Charlie for a ride to the hospital for her appointment and then sat down to wait.

Ronnie hurried out when Charlie beeped his horn for her. She smiled at him as she climbed in the back.  
"Need to go to the station and get Ray, then to the hospital," she told him. He nodded and set off. She sent Ray a text to let him know she was on her way and would be there soon.

"Jane's agreed to help out for a while at any rate. I'll have to see."

He grinned at Molly as they approached the school. "It just takes some getting used to, it's so extreme."

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shaz eventually felt calm enough to make her way into work. She would have to walk but she was fine with that. It gave her more time to mentally prepare herself for spending the whole day in the same room as a majorly pissed off Rhys.

She smiled briefly at Adam but didn't offer a good morning as she passed him. She went directly to her desk and leaned over to switch on her computer, then went to the kitchen and started on making herself a coffee. She wasn't going to be able to survive if she had to spend the entire day sitting next to Rhys, not while he was angry at her.

Shaz did not exist for Rhys. He was so angry with her for her covering up Ffion's behavior he didn't want to speak to her. He sent a message back to Ginger and told him to mind his own business and he was in no mood for chat.

Ginger raised his brows but kept silent after that. He could clearly see Shaz and Rhys were fighting, but he was going to stay out of it. Chris eyed the pair of them warily but also kept to himself.

It made for a very uncomfortable atmosphere and Chris found himself envying Ray having his own office.

Ginger and Chris both breathed a sigh of relief when Gene came out and looked at everyone then grabbed Rhys and took him to check out some shop robbery.

"What in the world is going on, Shaz?" Ginger asked her when they were gone.

Shaz felt herself finally relax as Rhys left with Gene. She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them at Ginger's question. She sighed and looked at him.

"I didn't tell him that Fee's been staying out late at night and he's..." she shook her head. "He's taking it out on me which is totally unfair because I've been caught between the pair of them and Fee promised that she would tell him," she explained then stood up.

"Coffee?" she asked as she grabbed her glass and headed into the kitchen.

Ginger got up and followed after Shaz.

"But, if Fee's up to her usual behavior, I can't see her telling Rhys, can you? I'm not judging Shaz, but I thought the pair of you agreed to watch over and make sure that sort of thing stopped. So, why wouldn't you just tell him, I don't understand?" he prodded gently and put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

"Come on, Shaz, what's going on? I'm your mate, you can tell me if you can't tell Rhys. And yes, I'll keep it to myself and he can sod off."

Shaz looked up at him and bit her lip. She looked back at the kettle and filled it slowly as she thought. She placed it back on the base and flicked the switch. "She's not sleeping around Ginger, that's the point. It's just the one guy, and she really likes him. It's the happiest I've ever seen her when she gets home in the mornings," she sighed. "It's also the closest step to commitment I've ever seen her take and I don't want to take that away from her which Rhys will undoubtedly do. He treats her like she's a child sometimes."

"Well, to be fair her behavior has been very childlike. I've known her longer than you. But yes, if she's only seeing one man, well, maybe you should have told Rhys that. I don't envy Ffion when he catches up with her," he mused.

"Is he a nice man? I won't pry but, I'm fond of her."

Shaz swallowed cautiously as she reached for the milk and mixed it with the coffee granules in her mug as she waited patiently for the kettle

"That's the one thing that worries me," she admitted and lifted her gaze to look at him. "He's nice I suppose. I've met him a couple of times before," she paused for a moment. "She's seeing Gerald Redcliffe," she murmured then closed her eyes. "Alyssa's dad," she clarified.

Ginger blew out a breath. "Whoa. Dear me, Rhys might well go spare. Are you sure?"

Shaz nodded. "If his reaction this morning is anything to go on then I'm worried. I've never seen him that angry," she said quietly. "Which is why I didn't tell him that it was only the one guy, he would want a name. He scared the shit out of me."

"He does have quite a temper on him at times. This whole business with Ffion has had him on edge. I don't know what to say. Surely you could just say you know it's one man but not who?"

Shaz shook her head. "If I told him it was only the one guy he'd want to know how I knew that and I'm betting that he'd guess I knew who it was and interrogate me until I told him. Also there's no point anyway because he's not talking to me at the moment," she ended with a sigh and finally added the hot water to her mug and watched the sludge at the bottom of her mug transform into coffee.

"You're right of course," Ginger agreed.

Shaz nodded with a sigh and grabbed up her mug as she walked past him back into the office and sat down again

Rhys ignored Shaz still when he got back with Gene.

Shaz looked up as she heard the sound of Rhys' footsteps, she held a small hope that he had calmed down, but as he blatantly blanked her those hopes died. She regretfully watched him walk away and wondered whether she should find somewhere else to stay tonight. He didn't seem to want her around at the moment.

"Guv, I need to leave a bit early if that's all right?"

Gene grunted and waved Rhys off. "Go on then."

Rhys left and went in search of Ffion.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Keep going Whit. We miss u! Xxx"

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Whitney raised her eyes and looked at him. She put down her fork and raised her head.

"Um, hi," Whitney replied uncertainly. "I'm Whitney Dean. Nice to meet you."

Her attention was distracted by her phone and she picked it up and read Molly's reply and smiled.

"Miss u 2," she sent back.

Brett grinned at her and typed in his password to get into his computer then ignored it as he turned his attention back to the girl. Whitney. He smiled at her and peered at her book. "What are you studying?" he asked as he tried to read her writing upside down, tilting his head in an attempt to get a better angle.

Whitney chuckled at his behavior and handed him her schedule. "I'm doing Fashion design," she said and took a drink of her coke.

"I have a market stall," she admitted, keeping her voice low. "I design and sell t-shirts, but I want to do more than that, so my best mate convinced me to go back to school and here I am," she shrugged.

"What about you then, Brett," she asked. He was cute. She had to admit that, with those big eyes. She tried very hard not to stare.

Brett's eyes widened in admiration. She had the skills then, not only to make her clothes, but the ability to sell them, too. "I'm doing a retail management and promotion course," he explained. "I also have a regular spot in the University Newsletter," he smiled at her and then raised an eyebrow at her. "Have you ever thought about trying to sell your T-shirts in bulk to the high-street retail stores? You'd make more money I'm sure and I can guarantee that if they do sell, then you'll get a lot more bulk orders," he advised her. "It's also a fantastic way to break into the Market if that's what you want to do with your life," he shrugged.

"Well, there's really just me and a couple of people who help me make the shirts. I sell them online though. I've been lucky," she shrugged. "If you're doing PR no wonder you're giving me ideas," she chuckled.

"I took an open Uni business course not too long ago and an intensive fashion drawing course. Now I'm just trying to learn more. I'd like to start selling clothes I design from the stall. It's going to take some doing though. I have good friends helping me though, and my step-mom is really supportive."

Brett grinned at her. "Have you promoted your website anywhere? If you don't then no one's going to know about it," he turned to his laptop and quickly did a search for Whitney's t-shirts. He scrolled down the results until he found a promising link and opened it. He turned the laptop for her to see.

"This one yours?" he asked as he dipped his fork into his pasta.

Whitney nodded.

"Not bad. A friend of mine helped me build it. I don't mind that it's not too well known. As I said, it's just me and a couple of friends making the t-shirts. If I had too many orders I wouldn't be able to cope," she chuckled. She focused on her salad for a few minutes and finished it.

"My best mate showed off some of my shirts to her friends where she used to live in Hackney and I met some very nice people from Manchester who also bought some. They all know about the website and I get orders from them on occasion and they sometimes let me know they've passed the website on to other people."

She grinned at him and glanced at the clock and closed her notebook.

"For now, I'm sorry though, I have to go. It was really nice to meet you, Brett."

She smiled again and began to stuff her notebook in her laptop bag.

Brett nodded at her. "You too," he said as he watched her go. Once she had disappeared from view he looked back at her website. She was talented from the look of these designs. He grinned and spooned another load of pasta into his mouth and closed the browser and opened his draft article for the Newsletter.

Whitney headed for her practical lab with a small smile on her face. He'd been cute, very cute! She had to admit she was slightly disappointed he hadn't asked for her number, but then, he was just being nice and chatting because there was no place else to sit.

She shook her head and got on with her day.

Whitney sighed with relief when school finally finished. It had been hard work, but so very worth it. She made sure her papers and her texts were in her laptop bag and made her way slowly off the campus. She almost wished B had arranged for Charlie to pick her up. She felt too tired to brave the crowds on the tube. She took a deep breath and shouldered her bag.

Brett dumped his stuff in the back of his car. Having a rich father came in very handy sometimes, Roger was still up north somewhere and had agreed on giving Brett a monthly allowance, some went on his rent, the rest on whatever he wanted. So naturally he had saved up for his own car.

Brett pulled out of the university carpark and caught sight of a distinctive head of hair that he instantly recognised as Whitney. He pulled onto the curb next to her and drew his car to a stop. "You need a lift?" he offered after winding down his window.

Whitney stopped and turned to see Brett. She gave him a small smile.

"Um, sure, okay, thanks," she replied and reached for the car door and climbed in. She settled her bag and her portfolio and pulled on the seatbelt. She felt nervous, but swallowed hard and tried to remain calm.

"Do you know where Walford is?" she asked him.

Brett pulled away from the curb and handed her his SatNav as he joined the queue of traffic that stemmed from the emptying university.

"Put your address in there," he told her as he tapped out a quiet beat on his steering wheel. He sneaked a look at her as he waited for the lights to change and he smiled. Giving her a lift meant he got to learn where she lived, it also gave him an excuse to talk to her some more.

She chuckled and put her address in and handed it back. She could have just as easily given him directions. She handed the SatNav back to him and settled back into the seat.

"You know, I could have given you directions," she told him with a smile. "Thank you for this though, not sure I could have handled the tube today. I'm so tired! I didn't expect to be."

Brett smiled at her as he fixed the SatNav to his windscreen in it's holder. "You're welcome," he grinned at her. "And besides, if I'm using the SatNav it means I can talk to you better."

He stopped talking for a moment as the lights changed and he started driving again. "So, it was your first day today right? How'd you find it?"

"Well, it was very exciting and tiring, but I think I'm going to like it. I wasn't very good at school which was why I decided to leave when I was 16. But I've got the stall now and it's doing all right and Molly kept banging on at me about wasting my talent so I had to bow to the pressure," she laughed. "Molls can be pretty pushy when she wants to be."

She chattered on for a bit about her classes and perked up as they reached the Square. "You can just park there by that gate," she pointed. She gathered up her things as he slowed and she bit her lip and looked at him. "Um, I'm gonna go in the café there and get some food, you could come with if you like," she said hesitantly.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ffion worked cheerfully through the day. She was so looking forward to the evening, when she could be with Gerald again.

Bradley came in for lunch and watched Ffion as she worked. He convinced her to sit with him for a few minutes.

"What do you want, Bradley?"

"Please, I don't want to spend time with Janine, I want to spend time with you."

"Oh, Bradley, that's so sweet of you to say but..."

"Ffion, please, give me a chance," he said and took her hand. "Have dinner with me tonight. Just dinner."

Ffion gnawed her lip. She could meet Gerald after dinner. She reluctantly nodded and Bradley grinned.

"Great. How about Fargo's? I'll pick you up at 7?"

"Okay, 7 it is."

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ray looked down as his phone went off. He left a Post-It note on his computer screen saying where he had gone and hurried from the office. He leant against the building until he saw Charlie pull up and he climbed in the back next to Ronnie.

"Hi," Ronnie smiled and grabbed his hand. She was nervous. She knew she shouldn't be, but she was. She led Ray through the hospital until she found where they were supposed to be then signed in and sat and waited. A few minutes later, the doctor came in.

"Veronica Mitchell?" the woman asked.

"Ronnie, please," Ronnie replied.

"I'm Dr. Soames."

"Hi, nice to meet you." Ronnie saw the doctor's gaze shift to Ray. "This is Ray...Carling, he's the father."

Dr. Soames nodded and smiled at him. "If you'll follow me."

Dr. Soames led them to her office.

"Now, if you just want to wait here," she said to Ray as a nurse came in. Dr. Soames looked at Ronnie.

"Patricia here will take your particulars," she explained and handed Ronnie a small plastic cup. "Urine sample and Patricia will also take some blood and then we'll get started."

Ronnie nodded and flashed Ray a quick smile as the nurse led her away.

Dr. Soames sat down behind her desk and looked at Ray.

"So, we don't get many men who come with their partners for these exams. They all come when it's time for the scan, but these first appointments, rarely. It's good to see. I think so often we forget how much it affects the man when his partner is pregnant. I assume you'll be signing up for the classes," she said and handed him a brochure. "It's good to get signed up early, they fill up quickly. So, while she's busy with all that do you have any questions, concerns?" she slid one of her cards across her desk to him. "Feel free to talk to me, it's what I'm here for."

Ray fidgeted where he sat. What did this woman want him to say? He hated talking about feelings and all that rubbish, unless it was with Ronnie. He could cope with that. He shrugged and levelled his gaze to meet the doctor's.

"She gets these mood swings, one minute she's all over me, the next she won't touch me," he shook his head. "I know she's gonna behave differently and all, but it's just confusing," he sighed.

"Yes, well that does happen sometimes. Try to be patient with her is all I can advise. Fortunately these things pass quickly most of the time. I know it's difficult," Dr. Soames handed him a thin book. "Try reading this. It might help you see what to expect. I'll get her started on some vitamins and things. They might help a bit."

She looked at the door at the nurse made a gesture and nodded.

"Right, well, best go get started, shall we?"

Ray glanced at the cover of the small book. He did feel really awkward discussing this, especially with a woman.

She stood up and left her office and went to the exam room where Ronnie was waiting. Ronnie looked up as the doctor led Ray in.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ronnie patiently endured while the nurse did a cursory physical check, then hid a grimace as she was handed the paper clothes to change into.

"Get changed and Dr. Soames will be here shortly," the nurse informed her. Ronnie nodded and shivered as she changed. Why did these places always have to be so cold?

"Go ahead and sit there," the doctor told Ray and looked over the folder. "So, go ahead and lie back for me," she said to Ronnie and helped her lay back on the padded table. She pulled out the small device for listening to the heartbeat and began to slide the wand over Ronnie's abdomen.

Ray rose, followed her through, and smiled at Ronnie as he took the seat that the doctor had indicated. He watched curiously at what was happening and his face broke out in a fascinated smile. He beamed at Ronnie and took one of her hands in his. Silently, he pressed it to his lips and his lips curved against her skin as he smiled again.

"Let's find that heartbeat," she said with a smile. After a moment, she found it and looked at Ronnie. "There you go."

Ronnie looked over at Ray and smiled.

The doctor put the device away and pressed her hands over Ronnie's abdomen, asking a variety of questions about how Ronnie was sleeping and eating and her moods. Ronnie answered them, glancing fondly at Ray on occasion.

"Okay, so," Dr. Soames said patted Ronnie's belly gently. "We'll put your due date in mid-June. Now for the unpleasant bit, I'm afraid."

She helped Ronnie put her feet in the stirrups and began to pull on her gloves.

Ronnie looked over at Ray. "Can you wait outside, please Ray?"

Ray looked from Ronnie to the doctor then back. He nodded at her and dropped her hand as he left the room. He was curious, but clearly Ronnie didn't want him seeing this part, whatever it was.

Ronnie sighed. She didn't like asking him to leave, but it was hard enough having a pelvic without having Ray sitting there and watching. She wasn't sure she could bear that.

"That's all done then," the doctor said. "I'll be in my office if you'll come in then after you're dressed."

Ronnie accepted the doctor's help to sit up and settled herself. She nodded.

The doctor went to the door and looked back. "Do you want me to send him back in?"

"That's fine," Ronnie agreed.

Dr. Soames opened the door. "You can go back in if you like, she just needs to get dressed."

She gave Ray a smile and walked off down the hall. Ronnie waited until Ray had come back in and closed the door before hopping off the table and grabbing her clothes.

"I'm sorry, but it's hard enough having a pelvic exam, I couldn't stand it if you'd sat there and watched. Besides, I don't think you would have wanted to see it anyway."

Ray shook his head. "I don't mind. Like you said, earlier there are some things that I don't want to see," he smiled at her. He settled himself on the edge of the table she had been lying on and his gaze drifted to the equipment, then to her. He smiled broadly at her and when he spoke it was quiet but filled with awe. "Ronnie, we just heard our baby's heartbeat," he told her as he stared into her eyes.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Bradley went back to the car lot and shook his head at Jodie and Darren who were sitting and chatting.

"Dad, why did you hire Darren's girlfriend? It's not like she's doing any work," he asked when he got in the office.

"Well, she's sharing Darren's room now isn't she, and since Jack let you take over his flat, she's got to do something to earn her keep."

"That's just it, Dad, she's just sitting out there talking to Darren instead of taking calls. You know, the mini-cab thing is never going to work. We have one driver which doesn't do much good if someone's not doing the calls."

"So, I should just sack her then, is that it?"

"Maybe suggest another career path," Bradley replied diplomatically.

"Like what," Max snorted.

"Well, I don't know," Bradley began in a defensive tone, "no, wait, I do know. Whitney!"

"What, what about Whitney?"

"I heard Bianca saying that Whitney is going back to school full time to study fashion. She's got that Fatboy guy doing her stall. What if we talk to Whitney and get her to have Jodie do it instead or at least work there also."

"What makes you think she'd be any better there?"

"Because she'll be away from Darren for one thing and he'll be able to do his job when she's not around."

"And what about the mini-cabs?"

"I'll do it. You and Darren handle the lot and I'll handle the cab."

"Fine," Max agreed, "and you can be the one to talk to Whitney," he added smugly.

Bradley sighed and realized he'd walked into that one and nodded reluctantly.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jack sat at his desk and sighed. He'd made it through the first day and survived. He'd expected it to be much worse.

He sent off a text to Alyssa.

"Made it thru alive :D"

Alyssa dusted her hands and lifted her phone. She smiled at the text and shot one back.

"Good! Am making dinner, wat time u hm?"

She left her phone on the counter and went back to the meat that was cooking for her lasagne she had decided on making.

"Soon I hope. You're home early x"

Jack sent back and got started on finishing up his paperwork for the day.

"Hardly any apts at Salon :) x"

Alyssa finished grating the cheese on top and set the timer on the oven. She placed the lasagne in and poured herself a glass of wine as she looked over at her open laptop and seated herself in front of it to finish the appointment sheets for tomorrow.

"What's for dinner?" Jack texted back and put the finished paper work in the files.

He sighed and headed out.

Alyssa finished her work, closed her laptop, drained her wine and looked down at her phone.

"Food :P" she peered into the oven and smiled at her cooking.

Gerald padded through to the kitchen and bent down to look inside the oven. He inhaled and then looked up at Alyssa "What's cooking?"

She smiled. "Lasagne," she replied. "You eating with us?"

Gerald nodded at her with a grin, and then frowned. "You've got to get that fiancé of yours under control!"

Alyssa frowned, too. "What are you talking about Dad?" she sighed. Gerald stood up properly and pressed the switch on the kettle. "You need to tell him to stop calling me Gerry!" he growled.

Alyssa laughed. "He only does it to wind you up!"

"Not the point, Alyssa," he grouched. Alyssa shook her head. "You tell him yourself, or ignore it. You could always come up with a name for him," she suggested. Gerald raised her mug in question and she shook her head, declining his offer of tea. He reached for his own and filled it with water. "There's not really any point in coming up with a name for Jack," he sighed "He wouldn't mind it."

Alyssa grinned at him and kissed his cheek. "Looks like you're going to have to deal with it then," she chuckled and he scowled at her. "You're enjoying this," he grumbled and she nodded at him before going through to the front room and changing the channel from the racing to something more interesting.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ffion gasped as she saw her brother bearing down on her as she walked from the restaurant.

"So, you've been staying out all night again, what the hell were you thinking?" Rhys demanded as he approached.

"You know what Rhys, I've had it. So what if I have? I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm not sleeping around if that's what you're implying."

"Then what are you doing? Who are you sleeping with?"

"That is no business of yours, Rhys. None at all."

"It is my business, Fee. I'm trying to protect you."

"I don't need your protection. I don't! I'm in love if you must know and that's the end of it. Leave me alone."

She whirled around and stomped off. Rhys leapt after her and grabbed her arm.

"You owe me an explanation."

"I owe you nothing," Ffion snapped and yanked her arm away. "I have to get ready, I'm having dinner at Fargo's tonight."

"With him?"

"None of your business," she snarled and stormed home.

/\\\/\\\/\\\/\/\\\\\/\\\\/\/\\/\\/\\\/\\

Ronnie was relieved when they got signed up for the classes. She had the cab drop Ray off at the station and then herself off at the club. She hurried through her paperwork and went home once Sarah and Doug had shown up.

She looked at the flat in distaste as she entered and pulled off her shoes and rummaged under the kitchen sink and grabbed out the cleaning supplies and began to clean with feverish intensity. It was just so dirty. She did the bedrooms and then the bathroom and then went into the kitchen.

Dinner!

She started ransacking the cupboards and began to peel potatoes. She would make Ray a nice shepherd's pie. Once it was in the oven, she set to cleaning the front room and the kitchen.

She couldn't wait until Ray got home, she thought as the smell of the food began to fill the air. She looked in the fridge and realized there was no beer and hurried to the Minute Mart to get some. She set the table and then dropped onto the couch and admired the shiny clean flat as she waited for Ray to get home.

Ray set his pen down happily as he signed his last form and placed it in the folder that served as his outbox. He picked up the folder went out of the office and handed it over to Adam at the front desk. He grinned as he made his way home. He had heard his baby's heartbeat for the first time. It was incredible. He unlocked the door to the flat and dropped his coat on the hanger as he came into the house. He inhaled the smell of something cooking appreciatively and made his way into the front room to find Ronnie. He found her on the sofa and collapsed down next to her. He leant over and kissed her cheek with a toothy smile at her.

"I cleaned the whole flat today," she told him, "and there's shepherd's pie in the oven for dinner."

She climbed onto his lap and cuddled against his chest. "I'm glad you came with me today. Next month I'll have a scan and we'll be able to find out if it's a boy or girl," she told him. She raised her head and kissed him.

"The food should be done any minute now," she sighed.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

JT and Syed helped Rowan make the dinners for pick up before heading out.

"You really should try talking to Chris about what you want," JT said before he left. Rowan nodded and waved goodbye. She finished cleaning up the kitchen and went upstairs and put the plates of dinner she'd set aside in the oven. She went into JT's empty room and sat on the window seat and opened the window and lit a cigarette. Maybe she could talk to him. She finished the cigarette and closed the window and went into their bedroom.

She got out a nightgown she had bought, but hadn't yet worn. The material was quite thin. She changed into it and then pulled her dressing gown on over it. She ran a brush through her hair as she heard Chris come in.

"Hey, how was work?" she asked.

"All right. How was your day?"

"Busy, but over now," she replied as she went to the oven and got the plates out. "Hope you don't mind stew," she said and went to grab beers out of the fridge and put them on the table.

"No, I love your stew," he told her and hung up his jacket. He walked over to her and slipped his arms around her waist. "Missed you and all," he told her. She smiled and faked a stumble so that she hit the wall with her back, causing Chris to fall forward and against her.

"Ooh, acuisle, aren't you forceful tonight," she breathed and kissed him.

"Rowan, what?"

She held back a sigh and opened the dressing gown. His eyes widened. "Wow."

"I want you to tear it off me and have me against this wall here."

"Ro, I don't want to hurt you."

"Chris, a little rough, a little aggressive, it's not going to hurt okay," she whined.

"Ro, what is wrong?"

"I feel like I don't drive you crazy, you never just, you know, grab me and take me. I do it to you," she explained.

He smiled in spite of himself. "I like that, actually."

"Well, so would I," she griped and pushed him away. She folded her arms and looked at him. "Sometimes, I like to surrender you know."

She huffed out a breath. "Dinner's on the table. I'm not hungry," she sighed and headed for the bedroom.

Chris hated seeing her upset. Would it be so bad? He'd always worried he'd frighten her, but clearly it wouldn't. He wondered if it had something to do with how she'd acted before they'd decided to stop trying for a baby. He lunged after her and grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.

"You're not going anywhere," he said to her and she smiled. He pushed her against the wall and kissed her hard. Rowan thrilled as she kissed him back. He grabbed the shoulder straps of the nightgown she was wearing, but decided he liked the sheer purple thing and simply yanked it down instead of tearing it and gazed at her.

"Oh, Chris," she moaned as her hands went to his trousers. He helped get his trousers and pants off. She wound her leg around his waist and he lifted her and pressed her against the wall again. Rowan winced as her back hit the wall a bit harder than she'd expected but covered it by kissing him.

Chris broke off the kiss. "Ro, I'm hurting you, see, I knew I would," he gasped.

"I'm not hurt, oh Chris, please, don't leave me like this, that will hurt more," she wailed.

"I can't do it like this, I won't be like Brian," he said as he lowered her back to the floor.

"You're not being like Brian, Chris, I promise. Please."

"I do want you, Rowan, you do drive me crazy."

"So, please, can't I have my fantasy then?" she pleaded. He looked into her eyes and lifted her up again, but carefully. He grabbed her leg and pushed it around his waist and thrust into her.

She clutched her arms around his neck and brought her other leg up around his waist as he kissed her. She closed her eyes and let go and moved with him, but the surrender when he wasn't demanding wasn't as sweet. She cried out as she came with him and wrapped herself against him tightly. He'd almost done it.

Chris leaned against her and panted. What had come over her? Had she always hinted at this but he'd never noticed? He couldn't be sure. She's certainly been excited, he couldn't deny that. But he couldn't get past the idea that he might hurt her. Where was the line?

He unwound one of her legs and gently lowered her to the floor.

"Well, I'm certainly hungry now," he whispered. She snorted a chuckle and lowered her other leg and let him go. He hurriedly pulled up his trousers while she wrapped the dressing gown around herself and tied it tight. She picked up the nightgown and tossed it on the bed and joined him at the table to eat.

She took a sip of her beer and tried to push Ray out of her head as she started on her food. Chris could see there was something a bit off, but he had no idea what to say. He needed to talk to someone.

He finished eating and shook his head at her when she tried to do the washing up. He would call Ray in a bit, he decided as he washed the dishes. It was still early, not even 7 yet. They could meet for a quick pint in the pub and he'd get some advice.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ffion gave Shaz a brief smile, but pointedly ignored Rhys as she finished getting ready for her date with Bradley.

She smoothed her dress and came into the front room.

"I'm going out, I don't know when I'll be back," she announced with a glare at Rhys and walked out.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Brett pulled up. Albert Square, He would remember that. He raised his eyebrows at her invitation and then nodded and shrugged simultaneously. "Sure," he agreed and pulled his keys from the ignition after turning off his SatNav. He climbed down from the car and locked it after she had got out.

Whitney led him into the café and was immediately pounced on by Bianca.

"Whit, how was the first day?" she exclaimed and grabbed Whitney into a hug.

"It was fine, B. Long day, but good. Can we have some food?"

"Of course, anything you want," Bianca replied and included Brett in her smile.

"Hey, Whit," Peter said and patted her on the back. "Bradley was in here looking for you earlier and I asked around and Fats got the stall set up on time, only just."

"Good to know, thanks, Pete," she said. She turned to Brett.

"Sorry, umm, do you want something to eat?" she asked him quietly.

"I'll have burger and chips, B and a coke," Whitney said to Bianca who nodded and quickly put the can of soda on the counter.

Brett stood silently and watched interestedly. He gave Bianca his most charming smile and nodded at Whit. He looked back to Bianca.

"Coffee and a hotdog, please," he asked politely.

He tried to piece bits of information together. 'Fats' was working on her stall for her, this guy Peter was clearly one of her friends. And the Ginger woman that Whitney called 'B' was evidently someone influential in Whitney's life.

Whitney led him to a table after Bianca gave Brett his drink so they could sit down.

"That's Bianca, she's my stepmum. Peter's a mate and also Molly's boyfriend. Me and him and a mate of Peter's called Fatboy share Peter's house. Fatboy is covering the stall for me while I'm at school, but I'm not sure how reliable he'll be to be honest," she bubbled and realized her mouth was running off and clamped her mouth shut with a shamefaced grin.

Brett smiled at her as she rambled on. It amused him greatly. He sipped his coffee, grateful for the warmth it provided, even just walking from the car to this cafe had made him cold again.

"So, I'm guessing that the three of you live in the house you told me to park outside?"

"Yeah, I had to do something. I mean, B and Ricky are great, but the kids are so loud, I've got two brothers and a sister. I just knew I wouldn't get anything done. My older brother, Ryan, he sent me some money for Christmas so I used it to pay Peter so I could move in there."

Brett's eyes widened. "You've got 3 brothers and a sister?" he gasped out. "That's crazy," he smiled at her. Big family. And she had a stepmother. Whereas he was an only child with just the one parent.

"Here ya are, Whit and Whit's friend," Bianca said as she put the plates down.

"Sorry, B, this is a mate from school, Brett. Brett, this is my stepmum Bianca," Whitney introduced.

"Nice to meet ya," Bianca said and gave Whitney a look.

"Likewise," Brett grinned back at Bianca.

Bianca flashed him a smile and headed back over to the counter.

"Well, Tiffany, Morgan and Liam are Bianca's kids, so we're not really related," she explained. "But B loves me like I'm her own and so that's all that matters. Ryan is my real brother," she rummaged in her bag and pulled out her purse and pulled the picture Ryan had sent her out of it and handed it to him.

"That's Ryan and Stacey and their son, Sean," she told him.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Bradley stopped in the café before going to get ready for dinner with Ffion. He headed straight for Whitney.

"Hey, Whit, can I have a word?"

"Sure, Bradley, what's up?" Whitney gestured at Bradley to sit down. Bradley nodded at Brett and pulled out a chair.

"Dad and I need a favor. It's not working out with Jodie running the mini-cab radio. She spends all her time sitting out on the car lot with Darren, so neither of them are getting anything done."

Whitney snorted a laugh and Bradley smiled.

"So, what do you want from me?"

"Get Jodie to do the stall for you. Peter needs help running the chippy, so Fatboy could always go work there."

Whitney thought a moment and then finally nodded. "I suppose. But you and Uncle Max owe me big for this."

"Free mini-cabs when you need them?" he offered and chuckled. Whitney shook her head.

"I'll talk to her."

"Thanks," Bradley said. "I'm off now, got a hot date."

"Oh, who with?"

"Ffion," Bradley replied and winked. He stood up and left.

She looked at Brett. "It never ends around here."

Brett looked up from the photo as another man came over to talk to Whitney. He listened to their conversation curiously and smiled at Whitney as he looked up and handed back the photo.

"So you're an auntie as well," he commented.

Whitney smiled and nodded and started on her food. She realized she was monopolizing the conversation and turned the subject.

"So, what about you?"

Brett shrugged. "I've just got my Dad, but he's still up in Manchester so I haven't seen him in a while. And I'm at this Uni because it's got the best reputation for Fashion Study so," he shrugged again.

"Manchester, really? I know some people from there. This girl that bought some of my shirts, she was really nice. And this boy I met…." she trailed off. "I stay in touch with Dani, though, she gets people to order shirts from me. I never really heard from the guy again," she shrugged. "Do you like London? How long have you been at the school?"

Brett nodded. "London's great. I mean, it's not like going to the University is my first ever time down here, Dad used to bring me down when I was younger and when he wasn't too busy. But living here is totally different. But yeah, I like it," he took a sip of his coffee. "I started at the Uni in September, so about 4 months. It's really easy to navigate your way around so don't worry if you got lost today," he smiled.

"Whereabouts in Manchester do your friends live?" he asked curiously.

"Dani went to school at some place called Waterloo Road. It was really pretty funny, because the Head over at Walford High, where my best mate Molly goes to school, he used to be the Head there too, years ago. Mr. Rimmer, how funny is that? That's how we met them. They were on this trip and he ran into them in town and invited them to this end of year party over at the club," she chuckled.

"I didn't have much trouble finding my way around actually. My classes are pretty much all near each other."

Brett's eyes widened. Waterloo Road? Rimmer! Wow. Blast from the past! He shook his head and stared at her incredulously

"No way! Rimmer! Jack Rimmer! That's..." he chuckled. "Small world," he told her. "I went to Waterloo Road while he was still headmaster there. He hated me," he said with another chuckle. "Though I didn't help the situation, he was so easy to wind up."

Jodie and Darren came into the café and sat down to eat. Whitney saw them come in and knew she'd have to talk to Jodie, although she was really enjoying her time with Brett. She also knew she had homework to do. Shame they weren't studying the same thing, she could invite him over so they could do their work together. She looked back at him as he spoke.

Whitney burst into gales of laughter at Brett's reaction.

"Small world," she giggled. She realized her food was gone and took their empty plates up to Bianca. She sighed as she trudged back to the table.

"Well, this has been a lot of fun. I'm glad I've got a mate at school now, it will make going that much easier. But I've got to talk to Jodie over there about the stall and then I've loads of work to do," she sighed.

Brett nodded. He would take that as his cue to leave. He drained his coffee and stood up as he gave her a smile.

"I'll see you around tomorrow, Whitney. D'you fancy meeting up for lunch?" he asked.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jack rolled his eyes at her response as he climbed out of the car. Food indeed.

He opened the door. "Honey, I'm hooooome," he called out as he slung his briefcase onto the couch and hung his coat up. He went straight into the kitchen and sniffed.

"Lasagne, my favorite," he greeted her with a grin. He gave her a quick kiss and nodded at Gerald.

"How is the most fantastic woman in the world today?" he asked her as he squeezed her tight.

Alyssa shrugged. "Honestly I've no idea, she hasn't been in contact today," she smiled up at him. "But I'm fine," she kissed him softly then let him go and got him a beer from the fridge. "How was the first day back?"

"Well, that's a shame," he shot back and kissed her again, "glad you're fine though."

Gerald nodded back and raised his eyebrows at the pair of them as he made his mug of tea. He had lived with them for almost a month and still couldn't get used to the way they treated each other, it was so alien to him.

He reached into the fridge and grabbed a beer and sighed at her question. "It was insanely busy, but I made it home alive, so that's something I suppose. Things should go back to normal fairly quickly though. Two week break is easy to recover from," he chuckled and settled himself at the table and frowned when his stomach growled.

"So, how was your day, Gerald? Horses being good to you?"

Alyssa smiled at him and rested against the oven as she waited impatiently for the timer to go off.

Gerald sipped his tea and shrugged. "I've done worse," he smiled. "I'm not going to bore you with the details," he added.

Alyssa jumped as the timer went off behind her and she grabbed the oven gloves. She took the dish out and placed it on the table. She turned and grabbed three played out then handed them out along with some cutlery from the drawer. She settled herself in her usual seat and smiled at the two of them as she served out their portions.

Jack shrugged. "Good answer."

He rubbed his hands together as Alyssa took the lasagne out of the oven and cut off a bite and hurriedly blew on it to cool it.

"I didn't get much of a chance at lunch today," he said to no one in particular and began to steadily eat.

/\\/\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\

Ronnie put a hand over his and shrugged. "I don't know really. I hadn't given it much thought. Been too busy hoping it's not some bizarre dream," she chuckled.

"I should get the food out of the oven before it burns. Besides, all that cleaning made me hungry."

She reluctantly got up and went to the kitchen and got the shepherd's pie out of the oven and pulled out the plates and cutlery. She dished some up for both of them and carried the plates to the table. She went back and got a glass of water for herself and a beer for Ray and came back and sat down.

"Hope it turned out all right," she remarked and took an experimental bite.

Ray settled himself down and took a huge forkful into his mouth. He chewed contemplatively and swallowed then stood. He went to the cupboard and pulled out the Worcestershire sauce. He sloshed some on and mixed it in. He raised his gaze to hers and placed the bottle in the middle of the table. "Needed an extra kick," he explained with a shrug. "Apart from that it's good," he grinned at her.

Ronnie snorted a soft laugh and shook her head. "Glad it turned out okay. I just felt like cooking today, I wanted to do more, but got so busy cleaning," she shrugged and applied herself to her food.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Chris finished cleaning up and got his phone and called Ray. He glanced into the front room and saw Rowan staring at the TV.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ray swallowed and frowned when his phone rang. He leant back in his seat and shrugged at the caller ID before answering "Chris? What's up mate?"

"Yeah, look, any chance you could meet us for a pint at the Vic. I really need some advice," Chris explained when Ray finally answered. He tried to keep his voice low; he didn't want Rowan to overhear. "Please."

Ray frowned. Since when did Chris go to him for advice? "Ummm...Well, I can't see a reason why not mate. We're eating at the moment, so I'll meet you down there in say, half an hour?"

"That's fine. Thanks mate," Chris replied and closed his phone.

He went into the front room.

"Ro, I'm gonna head over to the pub and have a few pints. I'll be back later," he told her and kissed her soundly. She smiled and nodded as he left.

He pulled on his coat and left, lighting up when he got outside. If he didn't walk too fast it would take him at least 30 minutes to get to the pub. Plenty of time for Ray to get there.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shaz watched her go then looked over at Rhys worriedly. He had spoken to Ffion, she had guessed that much from Fee's attitude towards him. She sighed and stood up then glanced at him briefly as she went into the kitchen and dug in the biscuit barrel for a chocolate digestive. She frowned when she found none left and broke open a new packet to nibble on.

"I'm going to the chippy," Rhys finally growled and stalked out of the flat. He kept his distance but followed Ffion and saw her meet Bradley. He watched her smile at Bradley and saw Bradley give her a quick kiss before he took her arm and they walked off.

Rhys nodded as he watched them walk off and went to the chippy to get some food. When he got back, he put a paper-wrapped package in front of Shaz. He looked at her a moment.

"Bradley Branning, that's who she met up with," he told her, his tone still slightly frosty and went back to the front room to eat his fish and chips.

Shaz peeled open the wrappings. Bradley Branning? Since when? Why would Ffion lie to her like that? What if she wasn't seeing Gerald at all and it was all Bradley, or, if she was seeing both of them? She shook her head, why would she say Gerald if actually it was Bradley? It wasn't like she still had a thing for Bradley, because she didn't. Not now she had Rhys. Ffion knew that. She sighed as she dug into her chips with no enthusiasm at all. She had to admit that she missed Rhys, she didn't like it when he was angry, he couldn't hate her too much though: He had bought her chips.

She stood and made her way through to the front room and stood in the doorway and watched him curiously. With a shaky breath she made her way over and sat down next to him "Are you still angry or do you feel like talking to me again yet?" she asked.

"I'm still angry, you may disagree, but it was important that you let me know, Shaz. We both agreed it was important to watch out for her. I feel only marginally better that it's only one bloke, but I don't see why she needs to hide it. I don't actually have a problem with Bradley," he gave Shaz a look. "But anyway, I followed her to see where she was going and she kissed Bradley right there on the street and they walked off together looking very cozy."

He shrugged. "Please don't keep secrets from me where Fee is concerned okay Shaz? She keeps enough of her own. I can't be here for her if I don't know when she's in trouble," he told Shaz gently.

Shaz sighed and nodded. She felt a little guilty that she was still hiding something from him but it was better that Rhys thought it was Bradley. He was less likely to hit the roof again. "I'm sorry, it's just, well, I get caught between the pair of you. She begs me to promise and if I tell you then I hurt her and if I don't tell you and you find out, then I hurt you. It's so difficult," she attempted to explain. "I don't think I've ever seen you that angry Rhys," she told him as she turned in her seat to face him. "You scared the shit out of me," she admitted.

"I'm sorry. I know I have a bad temper and usually it's not a problem. Just, please don't lie to me, okay Shaz. I've had too much of that from my family. It's part of the reason I've avoided being in relationships."

He reached over and touched her cheek. "You're a better friend to her if you just tell me. That way we can try to make sure nothing goes wrong."

She nodded at him and shuffled closer so she rested her head on his chest. "I won't lie to you, but I'll still feel bad about betraying her trust if I blab all of her secrets to you after she's trusted me with them. That could backfire and she might clam up towards me completely," she sighed into his chest.

Shaz frowned as her tummy grumbled at her. She looked at his chips and remembered her own in the kitchen. She climbed off the sofa and collected her food, then settled herself back next to him as she ate.

"I won't tell her you told me. I'm a detective, Shaz. She'll just think I've worked things out on my own," he grinned at her and slung an arm around her shoulders.

Shaz smiled and then rolled her eyes once he wasn't watching her anymore. She munched her way through the chips then deposited the empty wrappings on the table in front of them and drew her legs under her and grabbed the TV remote. She channel surfed until she found an old Doctor Who episode that was repeating and left that on to watch.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ffion fluttered under the attention Bradley paid her. She had to admit she was flattered. If she was being honest, the one thing about Gerald that bothered her was they never went anywhere. They went to the B&B, too late usually for a meal. They did often talk though, or watch TV. She liked that Gerald didn't talk down to her like she was stupid. Her whole family always had. Ffion wasn't stupid. She just different ideas of what was important.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"You won't be too late will you?" Ronnie wanted to know when Ray was off the phone. "I was sort of hoping we could have an early night," she told him and smiled.

Ray left his phone on the table and shook his head at her. "He just wants a little chat," his eyebrows went up hopefully and he grinned at her. "Just one pint and I'll be home. Promise," he told her and applied himself to his food; the quicker he ate, the sooner he got to the pub and helped Chris, the sooner he was back here with Ronnie, in bed. He smiled at the thought and met her eyes with a huge smile.

Ronnie smiled back at him. She picked up her empty plate and took it into the kitchen.

"If your friend needs you, he needs you. Have two pints if you need to," she told him. She leaned over and put her lips to his ear.

"If I'm asleep when you get back, wake me up," she told him and gave him a lingering kiss.

Ray nodded at her with a smile and kissed her once more before grabbing his coat, shoving it on and walking leisurely to the pub. He looked around once he got inside and couldn't see Chris. He shrugged and marched up to the bar and got himself a pint as he settled on the barstool and waited for Chris.

Ffion was torn. On one hand, she knew she was falling for Gerald. But Bradley was so sweet, and funny and their little interlude had been quite something. She slipped her phone from her pocket.

No messages.

She admitted she was ever so slightly relieved. She was truly enjoying herself having this nice dinner with Bradley. Men usually just took her for one thing, apart from the once, Bradley just danced with her at the clubs and now he'd taken her out for an expensive meal. She decided she liked being treated like this. If Bradley wanted to sleep with her, she made her mind up that she would say yes.

Unless Gerald messaged her. She gave an inward sigh and focused on the sticky toffee pudding he'd ordered for them to share.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gerald watched as Alyssa placed the final clean plate on the drying rack and stretched. His fingers rested on the edge of his phone that was safe in his pocket. He needed to make a decision now whether he was going to be able to see Ffion tonight or not. He studied his daughter's movements and sneaked a look at Jack, too. He needed to know their plans tonight so he would know whether or not he could get away to the B&B. He sighed. He wouldn't wait any longer. He was going, now.

Gerald rose and patted Alyssa's shoulder as he past her and ignored her questioning gaze as she watched him move to the front door and grab his coat, wallet and keys. He looked back at her as he opened the door. "I'm going out. Don't wait up," he said and shut the door behind him before she could speak.

Alyssa shut her mouth and frowned for a moment, then shrugged and started drying up the dishes.

Gerald let out a breath. He had got away with that it seemed. He made his way to the B&B and booked himself in. He took the room key, opened the door, flopped onto the bed and pulled out his phone.

"Room 7," he sent to Ffion.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Chris walked into the pub and waved at Ray as he headed for the bar. He ordered a pint and gestured Ray towards a table. He didn't want the conversation overheard.

"This is really awkward, mate, but," Chris sighed. "Things are…a bit…off with Rowan. They haven't been the same since we stopped fighting. She thinks I don't….I don't know…want her anymore."

He threw his hands up. "Oh, I don't know how to say it."

Ray frowned at him and sipped his pint as he thought. "Do you..." he paused as he tried to find the right terminology but gave up and used what Chris had said. "Do you want her?" he asked keeping his voice low.

"Yes, I just don't know what to do. She…." he trailed off and then leaned over and told Ray in a low voice about earlier that evening, what she'd worn and what she'd asked him to do. "I guess I'm not as aggressive as I used to be, I don't know. It's difficult. It's not that I can't," he admitted. "I…." he trailed off and looked down at the table with a sigh and shook his head.

Ray tilted his head at Chris. Rowan wanted Chris to do, basically what he had done. This was going to be awkward if he let it.

"Chris, mate. You're thinking too much. You want her right? So, just let yourself get caught up in the moment, she trusts you okay. Besides, you won't hurt her, you both know that, you're just letting yourself worry too much. Stop thinking and let go," he advised.

"I tried, mate, it's just, I can't explain it. Because I think she knows…" he trailed off and looked at Ray.

He took a drink of his pint and looked steadily at his best mate. "A few days before Christmas, when I were on nights, I um, I shagged this bird in one of the interview rooms. I didn't mean it to happen. I was trying to be nice because she wasn't feeling well so I put her in one of the rooms so it would be quiet. Next thing I know, she's all over me. I didn't tear all her clothes off but, um," he cleared his throat, "I did tear off her knickers and I pushed her up against the wall. I'm not sure what else it could be," he admitted.

Ray frowned. He wanted to criticise Chris, not that he had any place to. He had done exactly the same thing to Chris' wife. To Rowan. He shook his head. "Not good, mate. Not good. You know what'll happen when Rowan finds out don't you?" he sighed and shook his head. "But, do the same thing to Rowan as you did to the girl in the interview room, trust me, that's all she wants," he sighed. "I went through sort of the same thing with Ronnie, not the cheating thing, but her wanting to feel desirable."

"I know it's not good and I don't imagine she'll be very happy with me, not with all the other issues I'm trying to fix. But what was I supposed to do? I couldn't help it. I mean, Ro is, well, she's amazing. I'd be crazy to go anywhere else, but things were so bad between us at the time."

He sighed and drained his pint. "I know that's what she wants. I just have to figure out how to give it to her. I better go, and I'm sure Ronnie's waiting on you. Thanks for listening mate."

Ray drained his pint. He stood, patted Chris' shoulder, and left the pub.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ffion walked along with Bradley and grabbed her phone from her bag when she heard it beeping. She read Gerald's message and smiled.

"I have to go now, Bradley, but I had a lovely time," she pressed a soft kiss against his lips and touched his cheek. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Bradley nodded and watched her go before turning to go to his flat.

Ffion took the roundabout way to the B&B and hurried upstairs and knocked on Gerald's door.

Gerald looked up from the TV at the knock on the door. It had to be Ffion. He swung himself off the bed and opened the door. He smiled at her and took her hand to pull her into the room. He shut the door behind her as he pulled her against him and kissed her.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ronnie realized cleaning must have tired her out more than she'd thought. She was nodding off in front of the tele. She got up and went to the bedroom. She had told Ray to wake her up if she was asleep. She smiled.

She hurriedly stripped down to surprise him and climbed into bed with a soft sigh. She pressed her face into his pillow and drifted off.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ray quickly made his way home and shed his jacket, shirt, socks and shoes as he made his way to the bedroom

Ray sighed softly at the sight of her asleep, tucked up in bed. He stripped himself of his trousers and pants and slid in next to her. He grinned at her hugging his pillow and eased it out of her grasp, he returned it to its usual place and stroked the hair off her forehead and kissed his way down the side of her face until he reached her ear. "Ronnie," he whispered gently and continued planting gentle kisses along the shell of her ear.

"Mmmm" Ronnie mumbled and opened her eyes. She reached out and slid her arms around him. "You're home," she whispered as she pressed herself to him.

Ray's arms slid around her and pulled her closer as he chuckled throatily. "You're perceptive," he whispered back and he ran his hands up and down her back. He had missed having her close to him. His arms felt empty without her. One hand moved and cupped her face as he pressed his lips to her softly.

Ronnie smiled into the kiss and moaned at his touch. She was so very glad she was past all that weird mental stuff. She had missed being in his arms.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Yeah, that would be great," Whitney replied and smiled back. She stood up. "See you at lunch tomorrow, then."

Brett winked at Whitney as he left and waved goodbye to Bianca as he went out of the café and started up his car. He smiled as he drove away.

She gave him a small wave and headed over to Jodie.

"Hey, Jodie, can I have a word?" Whitney asked as she walked over. Jodie nodded.

"Sure."

"I'll just be outside waiting, Jo," Darren said and got up and went outside.

Whitney sat down.

"How do you like working at the car lot?" Whitney wanted to know.

"Well, it's all right I suppose. I get to work with Darren and so I can look at his sweet face whenever I want….."

"How would you like….." Whitney began.

"And of course we take lunch at the same time and sometimes I watch him when he sells cars, he's so clever….."

Whitney sighed and tried again.

"I need someone besides Fatboy….."

"Oh, and the other day, it was so funny…." Jodie interrupted again.

Whitney raised her hand and clicked her fingers several times in front of Jodie's face to get her to stop talking.

"Oi, Jodie, Jodie, pay attention here," Whitney told her, her voice a little sharper than she'd intended. Jodie stopped and looked at Whitney wide-eyed.

"I need a favor," Whitney said, gentling her tone.

"Okay, what do you need?"

"I need someone to watch the stall for me while I'm back at school. It's just during the week."

"I thought Fatboy was doing that for you?"

"He is, but Peter needs help at the chippy so I thought if I get Fats out of the stall he can help Peter out. So, what do you reckon?"

"I suppose I could…." she began.

"You could have Darren help you set up the stall, and I could talk to Fatboy and he could help you, too. Then you'd just sell the shirts."

"That doesn't sound too hard," Jodie said brightly. She leaned over close to Whitney. "I'll be honest with you; it does smell a bit at the car lot. You know, all that car stuff," she added.

Whitney nodded soberly. "I'm sure it does. So, first time tomorrow morning yeah?"

"Yeah, deal. Oh, but won't Max and Bradley be upset with me if I leave?"

"No, Bradley was telling me that he didn't have much to do anyway with Darren doing such a good job so he's going to take over the mini-cab stuff."

"Oh, that's brilliant. Yes, my Darren is really amazing…." she began.

"Okay, well, thanks Jodie. I'll talk to Fatboy and make sure he meets you in the morning to help you set up. I've got a load of work to do now, so I'll see you. And thanks, really."

Jodie nodded as Whitney made her escape. She heaved a great breath as she headed into the house and hoped she hadn't made a mistake.

Whitney went home and had a talk with Peter and Fatboy to let Fatboy know about Jodie taking over the stall and to ask him to help her set it up in the mornings. Peter immediately asked Fatboy to help him out at the chippy, he wasn't going to assume his friend would do it.

Fatboy agreed to switch from the stall to the chippy, he liked selling the t-shirts but the appeal of snatching a few chips when no one was around was too tempting to miss.

Whitney left them talking their plans out and headed upstairs to get her work done and go to bed. She was going to sleep like a rock.

She grabbed up her phone before she went to bed and fired off a quick text to Molly before dropping off to sleep.

"Made a friend. Boy named Brett. V cute/fit!"

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly looked up from her homework and smiled at the text.

"Woop! 1-10? ;)"

Whitney heard her phone beep and picked it up and grinned at Molly's reply.

"8 at least. And his eyes!"

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Chris headed home. He felt only slightly better after having spoken to Ray. He wondered why he'd told Ray about what he'd done though, and was surprised Ray hadn't given him a bollocking about it. He shrugged and trudged up the stairs to the flat. He walked over to where Rowan was lying back on the couch and hauled her to her feet. He pulled her close and slid a hand into her dressing gown.

Rowan couldn't hold back a shiver as he bent and moved his lips to her ear and began to whisper. He smiled as she moaned helplessly in his arms and then picked her up, carried her to the bedroom and tossed her onto the bed and pounced.


	14. Chapter 14

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 14**

Molly sighed; Sam hadn't woken very much last night. She held onto a small hope that maybe he was going to start sleeping through the night and prayed that it wasn't just a fluke. She glanced briefly at her clock and decided that it was still way too early to get up. She rolled onto her side and closed her eyes again. She groaned in frustration as the wailing started up and reached for her MP3.

Alex scrambled from the bed sluggishly. She went into the nursery, picked up Sam and rocked him until the crying stopped. He wasn't hungry; she had determined that from his wails. She knew him well enough now to know which scream meant what. He just wanted attention. She yawned and carried him back to her room and slipped carefully back down next to Gene, the baby cradled in her arms as she laid with her back pressed against Gene and Sam held gently to her front.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa sat at her laptop in her dressing gown trying to sort the figures out in her head as well as on the screen. She had been up for at least an hour trying and wasn't getting anywhere very fast. She shouldn't have shunned her work in favour of curling up with Jack on the sofa the night before, but she hadn't been able to resist: his arms were so inviting, and cuddling with him was one of her favourite pastimes.

She glanced at the small clock in the corner of her screen and sighed. It was 6:25! She could go back upstairs and crawl back into bed with Jack and snuggle down next to him...no, choosing to be curled up with Jack over doing important work had got her into this predicament! She sighed and tried to focus her mind on the spreadsheet in front of her and ignore the low hum of the fridge behind her.

Jack woke up and put his hand in the empty space where Alyssa should be. Where was she at this time of the morning? He quickly turned off the alarm and climbed out of bed and went downstairs to look for her.

"Hey," he said when he finally saw her. He went over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"What are you doing up so early? Want some coffee?"

Alyssa looked up and gave him a small smile. "The work I should have done last night," she sighed and gestured vaguely at the spreadsheet. "And yes, please. I think I'm going to have to live on caffeine today," she yawned and cradled her chin in her hand with her elbow on the table as she tried to keep her mind focused. She used her free hand to type slowly and without enthusiasm.

"How long have you been at this?" he asked as he came back and handed her a mug. He sat down next to her.

Alyssa took a huge gulp of the coffee and looked up at him, then back at the clock. She sighed. "About an hour," she replied as she took another, smaller sip of her coffee and looked reproachfully at the open spreadsheet.

"Oh, my poor love," Jack said and kissed the top of her head again. "Do you want me to make you breakfast? I was thinking bacon sarnies?"

Alyssa turned in her seat and looked up at him hopefully. "All four sauces?" she questioned with a small smile.

"However you want to make your sandwich is your province, love, I'll get the bacon and the bread going," he told her. He started to move towards the kitchen and then paused and turned back to her.

"You know, we've been engaged, what, three weeks now. I'm wondering if we shouldn't set a date. I think I may ask Gene to be my best man. Never expected to become best mates with a copper," he remarked and shrugged.

Alyssa looked up and smiled at him. She nodded at him and leant back in her chair as she watched him "If we both have a think today then we can discuss ideas tonight?" she suggested "I mean, do you want a church or a registry office?" she shrugged.

"Considering I have no spare cash, small and simple is what I have to pick, I'm afraid. But you know, since Rowan is your sister we will likely get the reception for free," he chuckled and kissed the top of her head. He glanced at the clock.

"I better get busy or I'll be late," he remarked and dashed upstairs to shower and dress.

Alyssa smiled as she watched him dash off and looked at the plate he had left for her with the sandwich on. She rose and applied her various condiments before sitting again and saving her spreadsheet. She had lost all motivation now. She had a wedding to plan. She smiled and immediately got herself onto a wedding dress website. She grabbed her phone and fired off a text to Rowan.

"We r discussing wedding ideas. Will u do reception? Plz?xxxxxxxxxxxxx"

She bit into her sandwich and listened to the shower. She didn't mind small and simple. As long as it was Jack standing there and her friends around her then it was fine. She didn't mind. But her dress had to be perfect. She grinned as she browsed and ate.

"However," he added when he came back downstairs dressed and ready to go. "I'll start saving now for the dress," he said as hee saw what she was looking at on the computer as he began to gather his things.

"So, make sure you pick a day," he grinned and gave her rough kiss before heading out.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Whitney woke up, excited more than she could say that it was Monday again. She never thought she would be a person who looked forward to going to school, and yet, here she was, looking forward to going to school. Her classes were fascinating and she was making a few tentative friendships, but best of all, was Brett.

They had met up for lunch every day that first week of school and he'd given her a ride home a couple of times. She'd even managed to arrange for Molly to be able to meet him one of the times she'd been brought home.

Jodie was doing better on the stall than she'd expected and was quite pleased. Apparently the girl had more than fluff between her ears on occasion. She hurriedly got ready and shot of a text to Molly.

"Can't wait till lunch today. Wonder when/if Brett will ask me out. Not sure if he likes likes me."

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan got ready and trudged downstairs with a sigh to get started on the day. Chris had got more aggressive which she appreciated but, she had to admit, he wasn't Ray. She hated herself for thinking that and chastised herself as she started the coffee brewing.

She looked over the sheet of paper Chris had brought home with the breakfast orders on it. She was glad of this, it gave her plenty more time to get the food ready and not put her behind when the breakfast rush started. She immediately put JT to work when he arrived so the baking would be caught up and then got started on the food for the station.

Chris came downstairs and walked up behind Rowan and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled and patted his hands.

"Breakfast is nearly ready. Do you want me to help you carry it over?"

"Are you sure it will be okay?"

"Sure, James and Ffion will be here and JT and Syed can easily handle the kitchen. I can't be chained here all the time," she chuckled.

"Then yes, you can be my little delivery helper," he whispered in her ear. Rowan shook her head and twisted around to kiss him. "Get yourself some coffee. We'll be done soon."

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ronnie woke up and blinked in the darkness of the room. Why was she awake so early? She looked at the clock and sighed. She'd gone to bed really early last night. Well, if she was being honest, she'd fallen asleep in front of the tele and Ray had put her to bed before going back to watch whatever it was he'd been watching.

She shifted in his arms and unbuttoned his pajama top and slid her hands over his chest, teasing her fingers through his chest hair. She moved closer put her leg around his waist as she pressed her lips to his.

Ray unconsciously tightened his arms around the person he held as their body pressed up against his. His hand made its way slowly upwards and he sighed happily into the kiss as he recognised the person as being Ronnie. His hand nestled into her hair and cradled her head as he pulled himself away from sleep and deepened the kiss.

He broke away once he was in danger of losing all the oxygen he had and he smiled at her as his stroked the silky skin of her leg that was draped over him. "Morning," he smiled at her.

"Morning," Ronnie greeted him softly and smiled. She unbuttoned her own pajama top and raised an eyebrow at him.

Ray grinned and let go of her back to help her out of her pyjamas completely. The pyjama top got thrown carelessly off the bed as he kissed her gently and he rolled her onto her back. Ray smiled down at her for a moment, admiring the way her hair had spread out on the pillow. He cupped her face and kissed a trail down her neck, starting from her lips.

Ronnie struggled for air when Ray finished with her. She was so glad she wanted him again. And did she imagine that he was more responsive, more in tune with what she wanted when she wanted it? She lay there and gazed at him, the way he'd made her feel made her want him all over again. But there wasn't time; he had to get ready for work. She sighed and buried her face in his neck and huddled close.

Ray wrapped his arms around her comfortably and held her against him tightly. He buried his nose into her hair and breathed her in. If he could stay like this, holding her in his arms like this, forever then he didn't think that he could get much happier. He kissed the top of her head. Unfortunately he had to move soon, but he was all in favour of delaying his leave. He didn't have to have breakfast here now that Rowan sent stuff the station. He could grab something there, that added 10 minutes that he could spend in bed with Ronnie.

Ronnie pressed a kiss to his neck and then looked up at him.

"Jack called the other day. He's considering selling the club back to me. He says it's doing so much better now that I'm running it that he's given it a great deal of thought. Also, it sounds to be like he plans to stay wherever it is that he's at with this woman he dumped Chelsea for. R&R is just a stone around his neck. So, he's going to get the place valued and we'll make some arrangement. I'll probably go talk to the bank and see what I can manage. I'd see if Roxy wants a share ,but I want this to be just mine, you know? She's got the pub and the salon. I managed to get Jack to agree not to say anything to Roxy, that way I can tell her afterwards," Ronnie grinned.

She traced a finger down his cheek. "I should put the kettle on so you can get ready," she sighed.

Ray couldn't help the grin that spread over his face. She was going to own the club! He was happy for her. He knew how good she was at running the place and clearly Jack Branning thought so, too. Good. He grinned down at her and pressed a long kiss to her. "I'm glad you're going to own the club. And, as you say, Roxy has two of her own businesses, I'm sure she will understand that you want your own business, too," he assured her and kissed her again.

"I'm pretty glad too," Ronnie agreed.

He rolled off her and glanced at her as he made his way to the bathroom. "You. Kitchen. Now," he said then grinned broadly at her and dashed off to get into the shower.

Ronnie snorted and shook her head at him at his comment. She pulled on her dressing gown and went into the kitchen to get the tea started while Ray showered. She forced herself to stay in the kitchen and made herself toast to distract her from how much she wanted to join him in the shower.

Ronnie handed him his tea when he came into the kitchen.

"I assume you're eating at work?" she grinned at him. "Nice of Mr. Hunt to get that organized for you guys. How much do you have to put in every week for this privilege?"

She knew they most likely had a whip round to pay for the food and she also knew the cost was probably low. Rowan had told Ronnie on one occasion that where she was from it was just considered another method of support for police and firemen and she was happy to do it.

Ray shrugged. "Honestly, I've no idea. I'm sure Chris can tell me when I get down there though. He is married to the woman," he grinned and shook his head to rid it of the small droplets.

"So nobody tells you how much money, I so don't believe you, Carling. I know you just think I'll be jealous," Ronnie said and lightly slapped his arm.

He kissed her quickly and drained the mug. He dumped it into the sink and pulled her to him for a kiss "I'll see you later. Let me know if anything happens with the club okay?" he smiled then kissed her once more before setting off for work.

"I will. I'm going to start calling banks and putting together a business plan later," she called after him. She hurried to the bathroom to shower. She had some plans to make she thought excitedly.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly saw her phone flashing and cautiously unplugged herself. She sighed. Sam was quiet. She grabbed at her phone and lay curled up on her side as she read Whitney's text. She couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Plz! He does like u! I cud tel wen I met him! Chil + b u :) He likes u Whit, promise xx"

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alex sighed as Sam seemingly fell back to sleep in her arms. She didn't want to get up and put him back to bed. She was far too comfortable with Gene's warmth and steady breathing, pitted with small snuffling snores behind her and the tiny, quiet breathing of their son in her arms. She placed a pillow the other side of Sam and nestled further backwards into Gene before allowing herself to shut her eyes again.

Gene opened his eyes and yawned. He carefully slipped his arms from Alex and went to get ready for work. He was glad to see she'd brought the baby into the bed. Might keep the kid quiet.

He tapped on Molly's door on his way to the kitchen and made some tea when he got to the kitchen. When his tea was ready, he took it outside with him to smoke.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Whitney sent back a smiley face and sighed. She hoped Molly was right. She got ready for school and bounded downstairs to have tea and toast before heading out. She took the tube to school and got herself a mocha before going in to her lecture. She couldn't wait until lunchtime.

Ffion woke up and yawned. She had fallen asleep at the B&B again. This time, she was prepared. She had stashed a clean set of underthings, clean jeans and a clean top in her handbag before she'd left the flat.

She'd gone out a few times with Bradley over the past week-a meal, the cinema. She had to admit she was beginning to enjoy spending time with Bradley. He was funny and very smart and like Gerald, he didn't talk down to her. She appreciated that more than anything. She slid from Gerald's arms and went into the en suite to get a shower. She couldn't chance going home and running into her brother.

Gerald woke up as he heard the sound of the shower in the other room. He didn't move from the bed. He stared up at the ceiling and sighed happily. He hadn't been with someone like this in years. Ever since Benjamin reached the age of 3 his wife just hadn't wanted to. He had accepted it, as he always did. But this was refreshing, staying with Alyssa and Jack was proving to be one of the best decisions he had ever made.

Ffion got out of the shower, dried and dressed before she went back into the room. She sat on the bed next to Gerald and smiled.

"Glad I brought spare clothes. No way to I want to chance going home to get ready for work. I'm in no mood to face off with Rhys today."

Gerald sat up and kissed her forehead "Is he still giving you a hard time?" he asked gently as he stretched.

"Oh, you know, he'll always be giving me a hard time. I imagine if he knew about you he'd go through the roof."

Ffion shrugged. "Ah well, I don't care if I'm honest. I best get going to work."

She leaned over and gave him a long, slow kiss before bundling into her coat and heading out the door.

She walked along rapidly and smiled as she passed the café and saw Bradley leaving it, two cups in his hands.

"Ffion, I'm glad I ran into you, do you have a moment?"

"A moment only, I have to get to work," she replied and looked at him curiously.

"I was wondering if I could take you to dinner on Valentines Day."

"You're asking me, what, a month early?"

"Well, you know get my bid in early."

Ffion giggled and shook her head. "Where were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that romantic place over on the High Street."

Ffion's brows went up. Impressive. She considered for a moment and then nodded. "If my plans change though, I'll let you know right away okay?"

Bradley nodded. "Good enough." He smiled and headed to the car lot.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rhys got up and went and looked in Ffion's room. Empty, and she clearly hadn't been back at all after she'd left on her date with Bradley last night. She'd obviously spent the night with him. He sighed. He thought he could handle it, but he wasn't quite sure.

He went to the kitchen and flipped on the kettle to start some tea. His fingers drummed a tattoo on the counter as he waited.

Shaz turned onto her side and folded the bedcovers more tightly around her as Rhys left her and took his warmth with him. She still hadn't told him that it was Gerald not Bradley that she had known that Fee was spending time with. Though now it did seem to be Bradley not Gerald. She didn't know what Ffion was playing at but didn't really feel like asking. The less she knew, the less she felt inclined to tell Rhys.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly huffed to herself and clambered out of bed. She wasn't in the mood to get up. She wanted to sleep for a week and not have to get out of bed. She had school though; with a grumble she went to get ready.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gene came back into the flat, made another cup of tea and sat and waited patiently for Molly to get ready.

Molly saw Gene waiting for her in the kitchen and sped up with getting ready. She ran her brush through her hair one final time and grabbed her bag. "Ready," she announced as she grabbed a cinnamon bagel from the cupboard and took a hungry bite.

Gene got up when Molly finally announced she was ready and led her out to the car.

"I'm not sure but I think Sam slept through the night last night. Either that, or I'm getting better at sleeping through his screaming," Gene chuckled. He dropped Molly off at the café and headed for the station.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

When Ffion finally arrived, Chris helped Rowan pack the food to take to the station. She also put together a basket with an assortment of muffins and other goodies to take as well. She knew if she didn't, Ginger would likely call her in tears. She loaded the containers into canvas carry bags and nodded to Chris she was ready to go.

"I won't be long," she told JT and Syed. "Stay out of trouble."

JT and Syed both laughed at Rowan's cautioning and shook their heads. "We're models of good behavior," JT argued and Syed nodded.

"James and I aren't," Ffion put in as she stuck her head around the doorway. Rowan rolled her eyes and bundled into her coat before picking up the bags.

She looked at Chris. "Suppose it's as safe to leave as it will ever be."

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Whitney was thrilled to see the first hour of her class after lunch was cancelled, giving her extra time at lunch. She wasn't sure how long Brett got for lunch but this way, she could spend at least an hour enjoying his company and the second hour getting ahead on her homework. Today was just getting better!

She practically skipped to the cafeteria and grabbed her lunch and sat down at the small table she and Brett had made their own spot. It was a small table but she didn't mind. It kept anyone else from being encouraged to sit with them.

Brett lazily collected his lunch from the hatch and smiled at the ladies that stood around serving the Uni students as they came and went. He turned around and his laptop bag hit his side as it followed him. He smiled as he spotted Whitney's distinctive hair at their usual table. He had liked her the first time he had met her but that feeling had grown as he had got to know her better.

He smiled at her as he sat down opposite her and dumped his tray in front of her and unloaded his laptop. He sighed as he opened it up. "You know that project that I was telling you about yesterday?" he said, sparing a glance at his laptop as it loaded up. "Well, turns out that the topic I decided on wasn't good enough, so I've had to start again! And I'd made a great start on it, too," he sighed and ran a hand through his hair in annoyance.

Whitney made a face of commiseration.

"That's awful! So what topic are you going to choose?" she wanted to know.

With another small sigh he logged into his laptop and looked at her, and her absence of work. He had learnt that Whitney spent a lot of her lunch times doing her work. He raised a speculative eyebrow at her and cocked his head to one side. "Did a dog eat it?" he asked gesturing at her side of the table.

She grinned at his question. "No, the first hour of my afternoon class got cancelled so I get an extra hour for lunch. So, this hour I will focus on my poor mate who has to restart a whole project and therefore needs my undivided attention and support. Then, when you leave I will make a start on my homework."

Brett spun the laptop around so she could see and showed her the list he had narrowed it down to. He sighed as she read through them. He pointed to one on the list. "I was thinking this one, its basically saying that I have to help a small business to expand. So, if you'll let me, then I can help you with your stall. What we can do is hire a company to help produce your shirts and then try and get a high street chain interested?" he smiled at her hopefully. "What d'you think?"

"Really? You want to help me with the stall? Well, I think that's fantastic but how much is it going to cost me? I'm barely paying Jodie to work and having enough left over to cover my living expenses right now," she asked and gnawed at her lip.

Brett chuckled at her. "Don't look so worried. If my plan goes okay then the University give me a budget. I have to pay it all back at the end of course but, that's why I want to help you. We know that your stuff will sell; you just need a bit of a boost. That's where I come in," he grinned. "This isn't going to cost you a penny Whit, the only money that I'm going to need off you is the original cash we use to set this up once the profits start pouring in."

Whitney considered for a few more minutes and then finally nodded. "Okay, let's do it why not? Might as well since I want to start including the outfits I'm going to design. When do we need to start planning this and will you need to do anything to the website? If so, then we should talk to Tamwar. He set the site up for me."

She took a large bite out of her sandwich and thought as she chewed.

"I'm glad you seem to think the profits are going to 'pour' in," she said wryly with a half-smile. "So, what do you need from me?" she asked and took another bite of her sandwich.

Brett smiled at her. "Come on Whit, with your designs people won't be able to resist. We can get the website promoted on the net easily, gouge some interest, and as far as planning goes, I'm all over it," he looked down at his laptop and opened the document that held his ideas and ways to implement them. He showed it to her as he dug into his lunch.

He contemplated her for a moment. What did he need from her? There was a question. "How'd you fancy meeting up at mine one night this week? We can sort all of this out properly when we don't have only an hour to spare?"

"We could do that or at mine or the cafe," she shrugged and took a drink of her coke. "It's definitely going to take more than an hour to plan," she agreed. She looked at his laptop and read over the information.

Brett nodded at her and grabbed his bottle of water. He studied her for a moment as she read over his plans. "So...you'll do it?" he confirmed giving her a cheeky smile.

"I think I'd be a fool not to," she replied. "This is," she gestured at the screen, "a really great plan. I can't believe you're willing to do this for me. Thanks. You've got to be one of the best mates I've ever had."

She patted his arm and took another drink of her coke.

Brett shrugged at her. "It's really nothing Whit, I mean; it's not just for you, although you do benefit enormously if it works. If it does work and your business takes flight then I get the grade that I need," he smiled at her. "I have an ulterior motive, I chose you and your stall because I know your work and I know that it will sell," he grinned and turned his laptop back to him.

"And I'm glad you think I'm a good mate," he smiled at her. "I think you're pretty awesome, too."

"Still, I mean it's one thing when your best mate and your stepmum support you. But, you've only known me a week," she chuckled and blushed furiously. She sat nervously and ate her chips; wishing lunch was longer than an hour. He thought she was awesome. She couldn't wait to tell Molly.

Brett shrugged at her and took another huge bite out of his sandwich. He smiled surreptitiously as she blushed, but didn't acknowledge it. He swallowed his mouthful and looked back down at his plan with a smile, it seemed a whole lot better now that she had agreed to let him use her stall. Of course, it also gave him another reason to hang out with her which was a definite plus.

As she noticed lunch hour nearing its end, she grudgingly grabbed up her bag and pulled out her work to get started.

"Here," she said and jotted her number down on a piece of paper. "Let me know when you want to meet up to work on this. I'll get together the name of the place I get the shirts from and the place that prints the transfers of my designs and what that costs."

Brett nodded at her and grabbed out his phone. He programmed her number into it with a grin and nodded. He finished his food with a sigh an caught sight of the time. He packed up his things and stood up.

"I'm late," he explained and ruffled her hair to mess it up. "See ya later, Whit," he grinned as he went in the direction of the lecture hall.

"Bye," she said and waved. She wondered if she'd run into him tonight and bent her head to her work.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gerald watched her go and fell back onto the bed. He checked his watch and sighed. He wouldn't go home until he was certain that Alyssa had left for work. He really wasn't in the mood for one of her explosions. He was far too relaxed for dealing with one of those. He sighed. He still had a couple of hours. He set his alarm on his phone and rolled back onto his side and fell back to sleep.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan fished her phone out of her pocket as she walked and read Alyssa's text with a chuckle.

"Why would I want to do any such thing? Do I know you?" she fired back. She looked at Chris' confused expression.

"Alyssa just asked me to do her reception; I guess she and Jack are going to set a day," she chuckled. "I'm going to take the piss for just a bit, make her squirm."

Chris shook his head and sighed.

"You are crazy."

She nodded. "You only just noticing that?"

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa shook her head as he left. He wasn't going to pay for everything. She wouldn't let him. She could buy her own dress. She looked at the time and closed her laptop. She needed to start getting ready for work. She glanced at her phone as it went off and she groaned at Rowan's text.

"Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pwease?"

She dashed upstairs to get ready for work.

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan chuckled again and showed Chris the text. He read it and sighed.

"And what do I get out of it?" she sent back and stuck her phone back in her pocket as they reached the station.

Chris opened the door and led her inside. She stopped first at the little kitchen and put the basket of baked goods there. She had Chris give two of the large bags he carried to Adam to take to the PCs. Rowan found the PCs a bit rowdy and preferred to avoid going into their territory if she could help it.

She went to Gene first and gave him his food. He grinned and handed her the money from the whip round. She smiled and shoved it in her pocket.

"Trusting soul," he cracked, "aren't you even going to count it?"

"Why? I'm sure you know better than to mess me over," Rowan grinned.

"Mercenary," Gene muttered and went into his office and shut the door.

Chris took the rest of the food he had to pass around to Ginger, Rhys and Shaz.

Rowan turned to Ray and handed him a container, very quietly closed the door and perched on his desk.

"So, how is everything?" she asked him, keeping her voice low. She knew Gene would be busy and unlikely to pay attention but she didn't think anyone else would do the same if the door was open so anything they said could be heard.

Ray looked up at her and glanced at the door too. He breathed out steadily.

"Fine. Ronnie's...well, yeah, she's back to normal," he shrugged then looked back up at her face. "That aura thing really works, Ro. It's helping, so thanks," he smiled at her.

Rowan smiled. "I'm glad things are working out. Hopefully she'll stay even-tempered. You're very welcome, I'm glad it helped. I'm still a bit surprised you could do it."

"How're you and Chris?" he asked. "I don't know whether you know...he came to me for advice," he informed her.

She sighed and picked up a pen and toyed with it. "I think we're okay," she replied with a nod. "I suspected he had." She gave a wry chuckle. "I think I still shock him sometimes."

She put the pen down and tucked her hands under her thighs and began to swing her feet and watched them as they moved.

She tilted her head at him. "So, do you know if you're getting a boy or girl yet?"

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa dressed herself and blow dried her hair as quickly as she could. She sorted everything she needed for work and made sure that she had her laptop charger too. She spotted her phone and read Rowan's text. Alyssa bit her bottom lip and then smiled as an answer came to her.

"My undying gratitude and love AND I will never use 'eyes' on you EVER again xxxxx"

She pulled her coat tightly around her and left the house and walked quickly to the Salon.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gerald groaned in agitation as his alarm went off. Why he had chosen that whiny high pitched noise he didn't know. He slammed his hand onto his phone and picked it up to cut off the noise. With a grunt he lifted himself out of the bed and dressed himself. He made sure he had everything then left the B&B. He paid the guy at the front desk and made his way home.

Gerald cautiously shut the door behind him and listened. Nothing. Good. Both at work. He went upstairs to shower and make himself more presentable.

Ronnie went to the club after she got ready and started getting the numbers together for a prospectus to show the bank. She looked at the computer and gnawed a fingernail and kept working, trying to work out some 12 month projections.

After several hours, she thought she had it sorted and called the bank. She managed to get an appointment set up and left a note for Sarah before heading out.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan heard her phone beep and fished it out of her pocket and read Alyssa's text.

"Yeah, right," she muttered. She saw Ray's face and held up the phone. "Lyss is begging me to do her wedding reception. I guess she and Jack are going to set a date," she explained.

Ray nodded his understanding and held her hand steady as he read. He chuckled and let her go.

"Fine. Consider it done," she sent back and shoved her phone in her pocket.

"So, as I was asking, do you know yet?"

He sat down at his desk and shrugged. "We get to know at her next scan," he explained with a smile. "I asked her what she wanted, boy or girl," he told her. "She said she's still trying to get used to the fact that this is actually happening," he sighed.

Ray looked at Rowan again. "I don't think I mind. I'd like a boy so I can play football an all that with him. But," he shrugged. "I reckon if we have a girl then I'll spoil her rotten," he smiled at her.

"I bet you will," Rowan remarked. She looked at her watch and sighed.

"I better get back, it's likely busy by now. I'll see you later," she said and hopped off his desk. She gave him a quick wave and slipped out of the office, leaving the door open behind her. She hurried back to the restaurant, her mind in chaos. She hadn't expected him to take her hand and read Alyssa's text. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and let it out slow. She hadn't been ready for him to touch her and hoped he hadn't noticed what the touch of his hand had done to her. She didn't think he had. If he had, he'd hidden it very, very well.

She rushed back to the restaurant and buried herself in her work.

Ray gave her a brief wave and sat thoughtfully in his chair as she left. He flexed his hand, he had felt a tingle when he had touched her, he hadn't been looking for it, but still he had felt it. He wouldn't dwell on it. He sat forward and got lost in his work.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa ignored her phone as she focused on sorting customers and finishing her spreadsheet. She sighed as Kim took the woman upstairs, talking loudly about something that Alyssa didn't care to listen to. She picked up her phone and her face bloomed into a smile.

"Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou! Xxxxxxxxxxxxx *MASSIVE HUGS!*"

She twirled on her seat in delight and giggled happily. She blushed as she heard someone clear their throat and stood properly and smiled to hide her embarrassment from her next customer.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alex yawned as she opened her eyes. She shivered slightly and moved herself backwards, seeking the warmth that usually radiated from Gene. She frowned when she couldn't find him and looked around. Her gaze fell on the clock. He was at work. A small sneeze got her attention and she smiled down at her baby. She kissed his forehead gently and lay back down next to him, grabbing Gene's pillow from beside her as she waited for him to wake up. She wouldn't move until he did.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jack couldn't wait for the day to get finished and find out what date Alyssa had decided on. He called Gene and asked him to meet up at the pub that evening. Gene readily agreed. Any excuse.

Jack sent a text off to Alyssa.

"Meeting Gene pub tonite around 6"

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ronnie left the bank, uncertain if the meeting had gone well or not. The man at the bank had said he would call with an answer. She hoped it would be good news. She paced around the flat and tried to think what to cook for dinner but her mind was taken up with the bank. She finally sent a text to Ray.

"Pick up takeaway on way home. Too worried about bank decision to cook. R x"

Ray sighed and grabbed his phone as soon as he felt it start to vibrate; he couldn't wait to be finished. Just one hour to go and he could go home to Ronnie. He read her text and nodded.

"Feel like Chinese. Fingers crossed :D xx"

He sighed as he dropped his phone and fixed his eyes on the clock on his computer as he willed time to go faster.

As soon as his shift was over Ray grabbed his coat and shoved his phone deep into his pocket. He waved briefly at the rest of them in the office as he made his way out into the chilly January air. He inhaled deeply and started on his way towards the Chinese takeaway to pick up their tea.

He strolled out carrying the bag that held the food and made his way home quickly. He shut the door behind him and dropped the bag on the kitchen table then went to the fridge to get a beer. "Ronnie?" he called out as he went towards the sitting room.

"In here," Ronnie called from the bedroom and picked up the laptop and carried it into the front room. "Just going over the numbers again. I still haven't heard from the bank and it's driving me crazy," she growled through clenched teeth. "I can't even hope to make an offer if the bank doesn't approve this loan," she sighed.

Ray raised his eyebrows at her as she marched in and took the laptop off her. He placed it carefully next on the table and took hold of her face. He kissed her softly. "There," he smiled and let go of her as he went to unload the food.

"Concentrate on something else, Ron, what is it they say?" he frowned as he fought to find the phrase he wanted. "That's it, 'a watched pot never boils', and guess what, the same thing applies to phones. So help me get this lot unpacked and eaten."

Ronnie sighed. "I can't help it. I really want this. With the sort of GOP coming in now, I can do a lot with the club and the extra money will help with the baby coming," she sighed. "I know Jack will give me time, but I really don't want to go to Roxy. I really want to do this on my own," she sighed and began grabbing food out of the bag.

"I mean, the man at the bank looked impressed but who can tell really?" she groaned and sat down at the table and started on her food. "Thank you for this. I was sure I would burn dinner if I tried to cook," she added with a weak smile.

Ray chuckled at her and shook his head. "Not a problem. If you're like this then a takeout is definitely a safer option," he grinned at her. He took her hand. "Ron. Seriously, try to calm down. It's going to be fine; they haven't exactly got a good reason to say no have they? So chill!" he smiled at her and grabbed some food onto a plate.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa tapped her pen on her chin as she fished in her mind for a date. She couldn't decide, the day they met seemed like a good idea, or have a winter wedding? She didn't know, couldn't decide. She looked down at her phone and read Jack's text

"Ok. Can't decide on date! Wat u think of winter wedding?"

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"U sure? Winter nearly done ha. Prefer warmer weather :D" he sent back.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa smiled. That narrowed her choices right down. Summer, hopefully warm, but in Britain who could say? She twirled her pen in her hand and text back the date she had decided on to him.

"July?"

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Or earlier if you like :D. Who will b your maid?" he sent back. "Am going to order dinner from, Ro." He sent after that.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"So, has she set a date?" Rowan asked Jack after getting his order.

"No, not yet. Still thinking it over it seems."

"Well, she can consider the food and all to be a wedding gift from me."

"Aw, Ro, that's fantastic."

"How could I not do that for her?" she asked with a grin she knew he could hear in her voice and hung up.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Chris helped her with the last of the cleaning after the food was all picked up and JT and Syed had left. Rowan leaned against him as they sat on the couch. She gazed at his face and stroked his cheek. She loved him so much, so why couldn't she still get Ray out of her head? It was all so wrong.

She pushed the thoughts of Ray aside and leaned up to whisper in Chris' ear. Chris smiled as he grabbed her and pinned her to the couch and kissed her.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa smiled down at her phone. Earlier? She chuckled and read his other text. Food from Rowan. Brilliant! She knew who she wanted for her maid of honour, chief bridesmaid, whatever you called her! Alyssa already knew that she wanted Rowan to do it

"Am gonna ask Ro 2 maid! Duh! :D"

"Guessed as much," he sent back and chuckled.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jack drove to the restaurant and got the food and then headed for the pub. He waved at Gene and joined him at the bar.

"Am pub with food. J x," he sent off to Alyssa and then ordered a pint for himself and one for Gene.

"Look, mate," he began when he had Gene's attention. "It looks like Lyss and I are going to set a date and well, I'd like to ask you to be my best man."

Gene's eyes widened at Jack's request. He had to admit, they had become quite good mates and Jack had proven to be a good person to vent to when Alex's hormones during her pregnancy had got to her and now that the baby was here and he was losing sleep. He could always count on Jack to be up for meeting at the pub and have reasonable advice.

He took a drink of his pint and nodded.

"I'd be honored, mate," Gene said. "I'll give you a stag do you won't soon forget," he promised with a wicked grin. Jack's grin widened to match Gene's and they cheered glasses before draining their pints and ordering new.

"I'm trying to calm down but this is just so infuriating. I mean, the bloody appointment was three hours ago! How long does it take to say yes or no. Either the plan is sound or it's not," Ronnie ranted as she slammed her fork down and stood up.

"I'm trying to chill but this is frankly ridiculous!"

She shoved her hands into her hair and stalked into the front room.

Ray dropped his cutlery and went after her. Hormones. Bloody Hormones! He stalked after her into the front room and placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. "Ronnie! They'll call when they bloody well call!" he told her firmly "So please! Put it OUT of your mind!" he growled at her.

Ronnie stared at him wide-eyed and burst into tears. She pulled away from him and collapsed on the couch.

"I'm trying to, Ray, I'm trying," she sobbed. "I just..." she trailed off and began to wring her hands.

"There's so...much riding...on this and I just can't...think straight," she explained between sobs.

Ray sighed. This was what got at him. How she could be wound up an angry one second, then break down before he knew it. He collapsed down next to her and pulled her against his chest. He rocked her gently and kissed the top of her head. "Come on, Ronnie," he said softly. "It's going to be fine. They'll call soon. Don't worry," he soothed.

Ronnie leaned against him and sobbed, furious at herself for losing control again and furious in general. She hated these hormonal outbursts and she hated how they had to be affecting Ray.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she whined as she pressed her face against his chest and curled up with him. She looked up at him and blinked. "I really hate this, Ray. I hate being so out of control."

Ronnie jumped as she heard her phone ring.

"Oh, please get it for me, I sound terrible. Just give me a minute," she said hurriedly and ran for the bathroom to rinse her face.

Ray kissed the top of her head before she ran off and made a dash for the phone. He grabbed it and pressed it to his ear as he forced his thumb to hit the green button.

"Hello? Ray Carling speaking," he said into the phone.

"Yes, I would like to speak to Veronica Mitchell, please. This is Mr. Hammerton from the bank."

Ronnie rinsed her face and blew her nose before hurrying back in. She cleared her throat experimentally and held out her hand for the phone.

"Yes, sure," he replied and smiled encouragingly at Ronnie before handing her the phone.

"This is Veronica Mitchell…yes….okay," Ronnie said, trying to make her voice sound calm and cool and began to gnaw her lip as she listened, nodding occasionally. She put the phone down and stood and stared at the wall a moment before turning to Ray.

"I….well….it looks like I can make Jack an offer, a good offer," she said, her voice soft and stunned. Then she shrieked and leapt at Ray, knocking him back on the couch as she fastened her lips on his. Her hands flew to his waist and began furiously unfastening his trousers, nearly tearing them in her haste. She sat up slightly and grabbed the hem of her skirt and yanked the skirt up around her waist before gluing her lips to his again.

Ray fell backwards onto the sofa, startled. He had been prepared to offer his congratulations and envelope her in a bone-breaking hug, but apparently she had other ideas. Not that he minded. His hands slide up her legs and settled on her hips, holding her steady and he raised his head and kissed her harder. His hands left her waist and pushed his boxers down too. His curled his hand into her knickers and tore them away; he pulled her down to him and plunged into her.

Ronnie moaned into the kiss as she felt him inside her. She raised her head as she rode him and pulled off her top and bra. She wanted his hands on her. She leaned over, her hair curtaining their faces and brushed her lips against his as her fingers dug into his shoulders and she began to move faster.

"Oh, Ray," she whispered, her breath rasping in her throat.

She was so glad she hadn't been put off this again. Not now that he touched her exactly when and where and how she wanted to be touched, kissed her exactly when and where and how she wanted to be kissed. He'd always been so good at it before, but now, he seemed to be anticipating and it drove her wild.

Ray groaned at the sight of her and his thrusts became more frantic. His hand swept over her back and cupped her head as he pressed his lips against hers. His other hand caressed her waist as he moved his lips from hers and left a trail of lingering kisses down her neck to her breasts.

How he had ever ended up with her he couldn't figure out. She was perfect in every way imaginable. Having her in his life was important; he knew that, but also the baby. Since he had heard the heartbeat a week ago he had been catching himself day dreaming not only of Ronnie but of their child too, be it a boy or a girl.

He could feel his approaching climax and growled out her name as his mouth left her breasts and went back to her lips. He clutched her to him fiercely, suddenly needing to feel her pressed against him as he kissed her deeply.

Ronnie lost all sense as she felt Ray explode within her and she pulled from the kiss as she threw her head back and shrieked his name as the orgasm hit her. She gasped for air and collapsed on him, spent and shaking.

She sighed and pressed a kiss to his cheek as she trailed the fingers of one hand down his arm.

"I feel better now," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she began to doze off.

Ray closed his arms around her happily and held her. "I love you, Ronnie," he told her quietly as he felt her breathing even out and recognised that she was falling asleep. He eased her into a careful upright position and slipped an arm under her legs as he lifted her easily off the sofa. He spared a look at the half eaten Chinese on the table. That was tomorrow's dinner sorted then.

Ray laid Ronnie on the bed gently and moved the quilt to cover her as he slid in beside her and draped an arm around her waist loosely. His lips pressed a kiss to her shoulder as his eyes drooped and he fell asleep.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa waited for the final person to leave, sporting some amazing purple highlights that Alyssa complimented to the woman's delight. She grinned at Kim as she left too, and then shut up the Salon as all the girls filed out and went their separate ways. She slung her bag over her shoulder and placed a hand over her stomach as it grumbled. Food. Jack was in the pub. With food. She smiled and made her way over. It didn't surprise her to see Kim going in the same direction.

She followed her into the pub and immediately spotted Jack and Gene next to the bar. She went over to them and smiled at Gene and kissed Jacks cheek in greeting. "Where's the food?" she grinned at him.

Jack handed her the bag with the food in it.

"So, any closer to a decision? Gene here has just agreed to be my best man," he told her.

Gene nodded and raised his glass at Alyssa.

"So hurry up and pick a date love so I can start planning the stag do," he told her and chuckled.

Jack turned to Alyssa and rolled his eyes. He pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Just a couple more, then I'll be home," he told her.

Alyssa grinned at Gene and smiled at Jack as she took the bag "I'll try, I've got it narrowed down to the summer, so you won't have to worry about school," she told him as she looped the bag over her wrist.

She planted a swift kiss on his cheek and smiled at the two of them before calling out a goodbye and leaving the pub. She made her way home quickly in an effort to get out of the cold. That was going to be an advantage. In the summer she wouldn't freeze in her dress. She shut the door swiftly behind her.

"Dad?" she called out.

"What!" came the gruff reply from the front room. She poke her head around the door and smiled, Gerald had taken up residence in the main armchair and had a pint resting in one hand and the newspaper on his lap as he stared intently at the TV. She looked at the screen and sighed. Horse Racing.

"I didn't know we had that channel?" she commented as she came in and sat on the sofa with the food at her feet.

"You don't. Channel 4," he replied gruffly.

She nodded and raised her eyebrows as she watched a horse fall on a fence "Which ones yours?"

"Red hat, green jersey," he mumbled without taking his gaze off the screen. She nodded and spotted the horse he had a bet on. It wasn't doing too badly. "What are the od..." she stopped talking as he launched the paper at her and she took the hint, she ran her finger down the column for that race and found the horse and the odds when the paper had been printed. She shrugged 5-1 not bad.

"Put a fiver on. Place," he said before she could ask. Alyssa nodded and sighed as she handed the paper back. She kissed the top of his head and held up the bag. "Jack got food from Ro. He's in the pub."

All she got in response was a nod. She gave up trying to communicate and went to heat up the food. She smiled as she heard him yell something at the TV and held back the remark that they couldn't hear him.

Alyssa fixed herself a plate and took some food through for her Dad too. She handed him the plate which he placed on the side table with a word of thanks. He tapped the buttons on a calculator and worked out how much he had won. He looked up and grinned at her as he moved the table with his plate on towards him.

"Dad?"

Gerald raised an eyebrow at her "Alyssa?" She smiled back at him. "Jack and I are deciding on the date of our wedding, and, I'd like you to give me away" she smiled at him.

Gerald stopped his fork halfway to his mouth and let it go back to his plate. He stood up and went over to the sofa next to her. He slid an arm around her shoulders and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I'd be honoured, Alyssa".

She grinned up at him and gave him a hug. "Thank you." He grinned down at her. "You decided on a date then?" She shook her head. "This summer. Sometime," she shrugged.

As promised, Jack only had a couple more pints with Gene before heading home.

"I hope you saved me food," he called out as he came into the house and went straight into the kitchen to seek out his meal. He grinned delightedly at the sight of his plate and warmed it in the microwave before heading into the front room to join Alyssa on the couch.

Alyssa came back from doing the washing up and stood in the doorway to the front room. She smiled at her dads vacated seat and Jack sprawled out on the sofa. She grinned as she watched his eyes started to close and she moved over and grabbed his hand. She tugged it to make him sit up and smiled. "Come on, sleepy head," she grinned and helped him to stand before leading him upstairs and getting into bed.

Whitney tried hard to concentrate during her final class but it wasn't easy. Okay, it wasn't a real date, but it was planning to see each other instead of just running into each other after school and hanging out. And since she'd had a free hour she had got her homework done. What a great day it had been! She resolved she would go to the pub to celebrate.

She packed up her things and bounded from her class with a huge grin on her face. She headed toward the entrance to the school, realizing for once she didn't care that she would have to ride the tube. Brett had sort of asked her out!

She grabbed out her phone and sent off a text to Molly.

"Brett sort of asked me out. Tell u more later!"

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"OMG! Im round urs anyway! Hurry Home! I want gossip! :)xx"

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Going 2 pub 2 celebrate" Whitney sent back and shoved her phone back in her pocket as she craned her neck to see if she could cross the road.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly nodded at the text and looked up Peter. "Whit's going down the pub. Fancy meeting up with her?" she smiled at him.

"Yeah, sounds good. Let's go," Peter said happily and slammed his book shut. He was tired of doing homework anyway.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Whitney hurried across the street and half-ran to the tube station. She couldn't wait to tell Molly about Brett's project.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Molly grinned at him and took his hand as they went to the Pub. She smiled at Gene as she spotted him at the bar with Mr Rimmer. She let go of Peter and gave Gene a quick hug before getting Roxy's attention.

"Hey, Molly, what can I get you?"

"Two cokes, please, Roxy," she smiled back and fished the money out of her pocket. She handed it over and stood around, waiting for her change. She shoved it back into her pocket and handed Peter his coke. "Let's grab a table for when Whit gets here."

Whitney bounced her leg in agitation the whole ride to the Square and bolted off the tube as fast as she could go and ran to the pub. She burst inside, breathless but unable to stop smiling. She dropped her things on the seat by Molly and went to the bar and ordered a drink from Roxy before going back to sit down.

"So, get this. He has to do this marketing project, help build up a small business and make it more profitable and he chose mine! He wants to get together with me sometime this week and go over everything. So that's sort of a date, yeah? I mean, it's not like when we meet up for lunch or when he happens to catch me when I'm leaving school and offers me a ride and we hang out," she blurted out, her excitement getting the better of her. "So, I gave him my number and he's gonna call me and we'll sort out a date and time, eeeeee, I'm just so excited," she enthused.

Molly grinned at Whitney. "So when, where and will you kiss him?" she grinned back as she sipped her coke.

Whitney's eyes widened. "I don't know that do I?" she gasped in shock. "If I thought he'd go for it I would have kissed him already. I'm gonna wait until he makes the first move. I don't want him to think I'm easy or anything," she said with a sly grin and winked at Molly.

Peter sighed and rolled his eyes.

Whitney chatted on with Peter and Molly through two drinks before the excitement caught up with her and she realized how tired she was.

"I better get home. Big week I think," she said before her jaws cracked in a yawn.

Molly stood and hugged Whitney. Gene was still here she could grab a lift off him. "Have fun at Uni tomorrow, and text me if anything else happens with Brett," she chuckled.

Peter pulled Molly into a hug and pressed a quick kiss against her lips.

"See you tomorrow morning," he said and left.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gene noticed it was late and Molly's friends were leaving so he went over.

"You ready for home? Your mum will be wondering where we are," he said and led her out of the pub before speeding them home in the Quattro.


	15. Chapter 15

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 15**

George Carter sniffed and sat up on the bench in the cell. Those coppers were so stupid. He was going to get away easy. No being banged up for years for this geezer, no way. His brother, Geoff, was waiting and would help him take out the escorting coppers, then they could run. Geoff had a motor parked round the corner.

He grinned again and waited for them to come and fetch him.

It was only a matter of time.

/\\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\\\\

Rowan hauled herself out of bed and went to get a shower and get ready. She sighed as she stumped downstairs and picked up the station breakfast order. "Good grief!" she thought as she scanned the list. This was going to take some doing. Chris had already gone in; Hale had needed to leave early so Chris agreed to finish his shift. She glanced at the clock as she got the coffee going.

She would send off text to Ray and have him stop in and pick the food up on his way. Rowan thought Rhys lived nearby; he would have to help as well. There were the baked good as well as the food. She poured herself a cup of coffee and started on the morning baking.

Mondays were always the busiest day of the week. Though she couldn't be sure how today would go with it being Valentines Day.

Ginger sat up on the couch and yawned. He looked around the flat and got up and put the kettle on. He was glad Rhys had said he could kip on the couch while Simon was ill. He would have stayed, but Simon had made him leave. He made himself a cup of tea and sighed before sending a text to see how Simon was doing. They had dinner reservations for tonight, but if he wasn't recovered then Ginger would cancel them, though he'd been looking forward to having a special Valentines Day dinner together.

Ffion came out of her room and grinned at Ginger.

"Simon any better? Do you know?"

"No, I've texted him, but only just."

"Well, I hope he's all right," Ffion said as she made herself a cup of tea.

"I'm sure he is, but we were supposed to go to dinner tonight, wonder if he'll want me to cancel."

"I have a date tonight, too. Bradley is taking me to that restaurant up on the High Street. Y'know, that romantic one," she told him with a grin.

"Well, that's nice. So when did you start seeing Bradley?"

"We've been just going out on occasion, meals, the cinema. It's nice. I got to be sort of mates with Janine and for some reason she was always wanting to drag Bradley along. I guess she was right that he fancies me," she grinned and shrugged.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rhys woke up and heard voices in the kitchen. Ffion and Ginger. He smiled. At least she'd come home last night. He kissed Shaz' shoulder and got out of bed and went to see if there was still water in the kettle.

"Well, good morning, brother dear," Ffion greeted.

Rhys looked at her and peered into the kettle. Just enough for a cup, but Shaz would likely want some, too. He filled the kettle and switched it on.

"So, what are you two whispering about?" he wanted to know.

"We were just trying not to wake everyone up," Ffion answered back in a snooty tone.

"No need for that."

She batted her eyes at her brother and took a sip of her tea.

"We were discussing Valentines Day plans," Ginger finally said.

"Oh, yes, Fee has a hot date with Bradley," Rhys teased.

"You know what, there is nothing wrong with Bradley," she took another sip of her tea as she gazed steadily at her brother. "You should see him naked, then you'd understand," she quipped and whipped around and headed for the bathroom.

Ginger burst out laughing, first at Ffion, then at the look on Rhys' face.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shaz mumbled and at upright as she heard Ginger's laughter. Ginger? She rubbed her forehead as she tried to wake up properly. Of course, Simon was ill, so he was staying here. She climbed out of bed and grabbed her dressing gown and made her way into the kitchen.

"Morning all," she smiled at the two boys and heard sounds from Ffion's room. She was home tonight then. That was something. She grabbed her mug and held it out to Rhys with a pleading smile which turned into a grin when he took it from her and kissed his cheek. "I'm going for a shower," she announced and went to the bathroom.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

JT left the pub and went to the restaurant and nodded at Rowan.

"Hey, Ro," he said with a wave.

"Hiya, JT."

"How are things going with Chris?"

"They're going. Improving a bit, I think. He's trying, but I don't think it's easy for him."

"Is there a chance he's still hung up on you not being pregnant yet?"

Rowan stopped what she was doing and gaped at him. "That never occurred to me. Do you think it's possible? We did agree to stop trying though."

"Anything is possible, Ro, you know that. You two really should sit down and have a talk."

"I feel like we hardly do anything else really. But I suppose asking wouldn't hurt. He should be home just after lunch rush, I'll talk to him then. Now, let's quit flapping our jaws and get this stuff ready before Syed and Christian get here."

/\\\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\\\\/\/\\\

Almost two hours later, two PCs came for George. One opened the door and went inside and cuffed George while the other waited and watched. George simply stood placidly and let them lock the cuffs. His brother would take care of that and all. He half-strutted as they led him down the hall and outside to the waiting transport van.

He noticed Geoff and gave the barest nod. Geoff leapt out of the shadows and bore one PC down while George slammed the other in the side with his elbow and then head-butted him.

"Keys, get the keys," George hissed at his brother as Geoff punched the officer he'd tackled and knocked him out. He fumbled at the PCs belt for the keys and hurriedly unlocked the cuffs.

Geoff got ready to toss the cuffs aside but George pocketed them.

"Do you have the gun? Give it to me," he ordered his brother. Geoff pulled the pistol from the back of the waistband of his pants and was getting ready to hand it to George when two other officers ran up.

"Drop the gun, now," one of them ordered. Geoff turned and looked at the two officers and grinned before firing at one of them. The officer went down with a bullet in the face and the other opened fire on Geoff while George rolled away. George watched his brother fall and the pistol flew from Geoff's hand as he hit the pavement. George held still a moment while the officer ran for Geoff to make sure he was down, then George grabbed the gun and took off running.

The PC looked up and immediately ran back inside the station. Damn Jacobs and Parker for being so careless! They would likely lose their jobs over this. He ran up to the Skipper.

"George Carter has escaped and he's armed."

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Brett smiled as he stretched and finished his preparations. He had finally found the perfect moment to ask Whitney on a proper date. He grinned; he had set up a table in his front room and placed a small glass vase with a single rose in it in the centre of the table. He smiled. He planned to bring her here straight from school. Of course, cooking wasn't his strong point, but he had a way around that. It didn't really matter what they ate, so, they could get chips on the way here and then eat them here. The setting was a bit romantic at least. He ran a hand through his hair as he made sure the flat was tidy and did a quick sweep to make sure he hadn't left any socks or underpants lying around anywhere. He snatched a T-shirt from the floor and stuffed it into his laundry basket. He grinned. Perfect. He swung his keys around his finger and grabbed his laptop bag and then left the flat.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gerald sat on the edge of his bed staring at his phone. That had been the fourth call from Caroline that he had neglected to answer. He wondered how long she was going to keep trying to get hold of him. He wasn't planning on leaving. Not now Alyssa had told him that she wanted him to give her away. He was going to be here for her wedding. 17th June. Jack had no school then and Roxy had already told Alyssa that she could have as long off as she wanted that month. So, he was staying. He fully intended to walk her down that aisle. He raised an eyebrow as his phone rang insistently again. Her name flashed up on the screen. Caroline. She wouldn't quit. He knew that much. He sighed and answered the phone.

"Caroline," he said passively.

"Gerald!" the voice was cold and shaking, but with rage. He was in for it. He knew he was. He sighed inwardly.

"Can I help you, Caroline?"

"Come home!" he waited as she paused. "Please," he smiled and shook his head, she so rarely asked him for anything. Though he could hear just how forced that word was.

"I'm afraid I can't Caroline. I'm having some quality time with our daughter."

"You've been there for months!" came the waspish reply.

"That, Caroline, is because I couldn't remove her as easily as you."

"So you go running back to her!" he could almost see her scowl as he listened to her voice.

"No, Caroline," he sighed. "I went to see her; she is still my daughter even if you've chosen to refuse her."

"Come home, Gerald."

"I'm sorry, Caroline, I've got to go," he snapped his phone shut. He found it easier to talk to her over a phone. He didn't feel the need to be who she wanted him to be. Not while she was in Birmingham and he was all the way down here in London. He stood up and pocketed his phone. He crept quietly past Jack and Alyssa's bedroom and went downstairs to the kitchen for a strong cup of tea.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rowan and JT finished the baking just as Syed and Christian arrived - Syed to work and Christian to take baked goods to Jane. She let them in and then a thought occurred to her. She clearly was tired and thick-headed this morning. She quickly sent off a text to Ffion asking her to have her brother come with her to take the breakfast to the station. She added that Ray would be stopping by also to help carry too.

She sighed and shook her head at her stupidity as she packed up the things she'd made for Jane.

Christian handed over the money and thanked Rowan. After he left, Syed walked over to Rowan.

"You're sure you don't mind making this dinner for me?"

"Oh, Syed how could I mind? I think it's wonderfully romantic. Feel free to leave early to decorate the place if you need to, okay? Did Charlie charge you very much?"

Syed shook his head. "No, he said I could just use it, he didn't mind. He even found a cute little table and some chairs I could borrow so we won't have to eat on the floor," he grinned.

"Well, that's excellent," she agreed. "Let's get going on the breakfast for the station."

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ffion read the text from Rowan and told Rhys what it said.

"Sure, I don't mind. Ginger, if there's that much stuff you can come help too, but not the treats, I'll carry those or you'll have eaten all of them before we even get to the station."

Rhys winked at Shaz as she left the kitchen and set about making her a cup of tea.

"So," Ginger began when Fee had gone back to her room, "seems Fee is going out for some posh dinner with Bradley Branning."

Rhys nodded. "So she's informed us in no uncertain terms," he shrugged. "I suppose I don't mind. He seems a decent fellow and Shaz is still mates with him so I can't complain. Better it's just one bloke than many."

"Very true," Ginger agreed sagely and nodded.

"Well, we should get a move on if we are going to pick up those breakfasts on time," Rhys sighed and looked at the bathroom. "I'll go, I take less time." Ginger sighed but nodded.

Once they had both showered and got dressed, they headed out.

"Why aren't we taking the car?" Ginger wanted to know, a slight whine in his voice.

"Shaz might need it today."

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

George crept through the streets not far from the station, hiding behind bins and in doorways, trying to stay out of sight of the police. He needed to get indoors somewhere and call a cab so he could get out of town, but no place nearby seemed to be open yet. He sighed and rushed across another couple of streets and hid behind a skip. He pulled the gun from his pocket and opened the barrel. Four bullets left. He sighed. Not really enough, but there was nothing to be done about that. His brother was dead. He would mourn later, now, he had to get out of here.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shaz heard the door shut as she turned the shower off and stepped out. She sighed and towel dried her hair. She wrapped herself in a towel and came out of the bathroom cautiously. No one about it seemed. She shrugged inwardly and spotted the car keys. She frowned. Why hadn't Rhys taken them with him? She smiled and accepted it. It meant she didn't have to walk to work today. Rhys and Ginger had gone she noted and kept her towel in place with one hand as she picked up the mug of tea then went to get ready.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ray grunted as a shrill noise woke him. He let himself adjust to his surroundings before releasing Ronnie and rolling over to see the text that had come through. He yawned, but nodded as he read it and put his phone on silent as he rolled back towards Ronnie and cradled her in his arms once more. He smiled down at her and brushed a lock of hair off her face and back into place. Valentines Day. He grinned. He had it all planned. After he left for work he had arranged for a bouquet of roses to be delivered to the flat for her. Then at the club he had got Sarah to put a small pair of earrings that he had bought Ronnie the day before on her desk. And he was planning on taking her out tonight. He had booked the restaurant and everything. He kissed her forehead and let go of her.

Ray padded through to the kitchen with another yawn and a big stretch. He would have to leave earlier if he was going to Rowan's first. He flicked the switch on the kettle and looked at the clock. The post should be here by now. He grabbed his dressing gown and went downstairs to the postbox and pulled out the newspaper and the post. Why the postman worked so early he didn't know. He skimmed through the letters as he walked upstairs and separated his from hers. Mainly junk mail and bank statements. He shrugged and binned most of his letters as the kettle boiled. He made two cups of tea then, went downstairs and outside. He shivered as the cold breeze hit him, he was quick. Ray picked a flower off the bush out the front of the building and ran back upstairs with it. He held it as he took both mugs through to the bedroom and placed them on the side as he sat down next to her and gently woke her.

He handed her the small lilac bloom. "Happy Valentines Day."

Ronnie woke up and smiled and took the small blossom from him. She sniffed it and wrapped her arms around him.

"Happy Valentines Day," she said back to him. She felt nervous. She'd been at a total loss what to get him for Valentines Day. She'd bought him a funny card she'd found after hours of looking and then after remembering he'd been complaining about his phone, she'd bought him a new one for lack of inspiration.

She let go of him and kissed him before moving her pillow and leaning back against it, slipping her hand over her baby bump. She was going to have to get some new clothes to fit her expanding waist, she decided. Maybe tomorrow. Today was the scan.

"So, the scan is at 1:00 today. I've still not made up my mind about finding out. Do we want to know or do we want to be surprised?" she asked and took a sip of her tea.

Ray pressed a small kiss to her swollen belly and then looked up at her. "Ron, it's going to be a boy or a girl. I'd only be surprised if it was some kind of puppy or something," he grinned at her and slid his arm around her shoulders. "It's up to you. I don't mind knowing and I don't mind not knowing if I'm honest," he shrugged and kissed her temple, then reached over and got his mug of tea from the side.

"I've got to leave a littler earlier today, Rowan's texted me to pick up all the breakfasts for the station so I'll have to make a detour," he told her. "Chris went in early today," he explained. He ran his fingers up and down her arm then smiled. "You better not be doing anything tonight. I've got plans for you," he said softly and winked at her.

Ronnie grinned and sipped at her tea.

"Sorry, I've already got a hot date tonight," she teased and giggled. "With you," she added and rolled her eyes.

She settled under the duvet and sighed, her hand idly stroking her bump as she sipped her tea.

Ray gave her a final kiss, drained his tea and went to jump in the shower.

Ray grinned at her and made sure his shower was as quick as possible. He rubbed himself down with a towel as he made his way back to the bedroom. He shoved the towel into the laundry basket as he got dressed as fast as he could. He smiled down at her and checked the time. Ray furrowed his brow. He was allowed to say goodbye surely!

Ray went back down onto the bed and caressed her growing baby bump before planting a fleeting kiss there. He smiled at her and pressed a kiss to her lips. "I'll see you around 1," he told her and kissed her once more before forcing himself to get off the bed and leave her, no matter how much he wanted to stay. He looked down at his feet and grabbed his shoes before waving as he left the bedroom.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Rhys, Ginger and Ffion took their time walking to the restaurant. When they arrived, Ffion got to work while Ginger and Rhys sat down and chatted while they waited for the food to be finished. Rhys yawned and sent off a quick text to Ray to let him know that he and Ginger were going to be helping with the food and were waiting at the restaurant already. They eyed the stack of containers and were glad Ray was going to be helping. That was an awful lot of food!

Rowan came out of the kitchen and started marking the containers and bagging them up.

Ray felt his phone go off as he neared the restaurant and read the text from Rhys. He shrugged and knocked on the window to get Rowan's attention.

Rowan gave Ray a small wave when she heard him knock and came over to open the door for him, flipping the sign to "open" as she let him inside.

"Morning," she greeted him. "Big scan today isn't it?" she asked him. She got Ray a cup of tea to drink while he waited and a cup of coffee for herself and leaned against the wall to chat with him. Syed and JT had the last few orders under control.

Ray grinned at her as he sipped the tea and cradled his hands around it as he warmed them gratefully. "Yup. We get to find out whether she's having a boy or a girl. I'm not sure whether she wants to know or not though. I don't really care either way," he shrugged and nodded at Rhys and Ginger.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

George finally slipped from behind the skip. The coppers would be out in force soon. He was going to have to move fast. He hurried across another street and spotted the restaurant. Perfect! He slipped inside and tried to look nonchalant as he walked to the counter. He spotted the hallway leading to the bogs and noticed the pay telephones. He smiled and fished in his pocket for the coins he'd swiped from a homeless man in an alley. The beggar had been asleep and not even noticed. He quickly dropped the coins in and called for a cab.

He sighed in relief and headed for a table. He barely glanced at the woman and big man chatting near the register. Rowan turned her head and noticed the scruffy-looking man who walked past her to sit down then turned her attention back to Ray.

Ffion saw the man sit down and went over, a friendly smile pasted on her face.

"I'll have a coffee, darlin'," George said to the pretty young thing that walked over to wait on him. "And some toast wouldn't go amiss."

Ffion nodded and turned to walk back to the kitchen. She jumped when she felt the man's hand slide across her backside. She whipped around, the smile falling from her face to be replaced by a frown.

"You keep your paws to yourself!" she snapped. George frowned and stood up.

"Oh, come on, love, you don't mind," he sneered and reached for her again. Rowan turned and tapped Ray's shoulder and began to move in Ffion's direction.

Ffion stepped back and slapped at George's hands. "Leave me alone," she cried and gasped when he reached behind himself and pulled out a gun and pointed it at her.

Rhys and Ginger turned at the commotion, but froze when they saw the gun pointed at Ffion. They looked at each other and then glanced over at Ray. What were they going to do?

Rowan stopped and glanced towards the kitchen when she saw the scruffy man pull a gun and point it at Ffion. JT held up his hands slightly and stood still in the kitchen doorway. He turned his head slightly and managed to whisper "gun" to Syed before the man started shouting.

Ray held in a growl as his gaze fell onto the gun in the guy's hand. He scowled and took 3 slow, calculated steps towards him as he spared a glance at Rhys and Ginger. Clearly this lunatic didn't know he had 3 police officers in the room with him. Ray decided that the best thing to do would be to pretend they didn't deal with this sort of thing on an almost daily basis. As far as this gunman was concerned, he was just a bloke having a cup of tea.

"Now, I'm in charge," George shouted and shoved at Ffion. She backed up hurriedly, tears beginning to spill from her eyes.

"Please, don't hurt me," she begged, her attention focused on the gun in front of her. "Please," her hands strayed to her belly protectively. "I'm pregnant," she gasped out.

"What?" Rhys roared and started to move towards Ffion when George pointed the gun at the ceiling and fired. Ffion shrieked and Rhys grabbed her as she stumbled and fell.

"Be quiet, all of you," George ordered. "Sit," he demanded, waving the gun at Rowan, Ray, JT and Ginger. Ginger sat over by Rhys, JT slightly behind. Rowan settled on the floor next to Ray and wrapped her arms around her knees as she kept her gaze fixed on Ffion.

Ray dropped himself to the floor and sat a little to the side of Rowan. This guy had a gun and no way was he going to let anybody get hurt. He glanced over at the others as the man with the gun turned away from him.

"Now, anyone else in here?" George asked as he moved towards the kitchen.

Syed hurriedly hit send and stashed his phone behind the bread before walking out of the kitchen with his hands up. He edged over towards JT and settled onto the floor not far away.

"Is this everyone?" George asked again and waved the gun at all of them.

"Yes, that's it," Rowan finally blurted and glared at the man while she chastised herself inwardly. She'd been so distracted by Ray she hadn't noticed the tinge of menace in his aura.

"I've got a taxi on the way, you lot just stay down and keep quiet and I'll be out of here soon."

Ray frowned. Out of here soon. No way. That wasn't going to happen. The guy had a gun and was seemingly prepared to use it on a civilian. He controlled himself and tried to find a solution. He couldn't move without the man fretting and he could shoot anyone. No. Too risky. But if he didn't, then he would escape. Ray's fingers flexed and he cautiously reached behind him slowly, and dug his hand into his back pocket. He moved slowly and shuffled a little behind Rowan as he started to send a text to Chris.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Christian read the text Syed had sent him and bolted from his flat, calling the police as he went.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Alex smiled as she climbed out of Gene's arms. No screaming at all. One full night's sleep. She felt brilliant. She put the kettle on to boil and tapped her foot and frowned. What if something was wrong with him? What if that was why he hadn't woken last night? No, she reasoned, if there was something wrong he would have made sure she knew about it. She made Gene a cup of tea and herself a cup of coffee, she knocked on Molly's door as she passed to alert her daughter to the time and crawled back into bed next to Gene. She nudged him softly and handed him the mug. "Morning," she smiled at him. She looked at the clock and frowned at the time. She had woken him 30 minutes early. She sighed and snuggled down next to him. Her recent exhaustion had prevented her from enjoying his embrace, but she didn't feel sleepy now: She could enjoy it now; Alex breathed him in as she curled into his chest and secured her arms around his middle.

Gene frowned and yawned and sat up in bed.

"Oh, ta love," he said when he spotted the tea and picked it up to take a drink. "So, slept all night then did he?"

He glanced at the clock. He had time before he had to get ready. He put his cup down and leaned over to Alex. "So, it's been nearly two months now, any chance?" he breathed in her ear and put a hand on her breast.

Alex closed her eyes as he cupped her breast, she hadn't been anticipating that, she opened her eyes and smiled at him then wrapped an arm around his neck. She kissed him and her other hand slid down his front and pulled down his boxer shorts as she pressed her body into his. "Yes, Gene. There is a chance," she breathed against his lips as she fully divested him of the little clothing he was wearing.

Gene slid his hands over Alex's soft skin and smiled. He would be gentle. but it wouldn't be easy. It had been close to the worst six weeks of his life, this. He captured her lips in a kiss as he stroked her, reveling in the feel of her under his hands, taking his time.

He growled and glared at the phone as he heard it ring. Of all the bloody times! He reached over Alex and snatched up the phone.

"Hunt!" he snapped impatiently. "Be there in ten," he said shortly and hung up the phone.

"That George Carter has escaped. Looks like his brother was helping him. Shot a copper and got shot himself. George got away with the gun. To make matters more interesting, he's turned up over at Rowan's and is holding them hostage, apparently. Looks like Syed got a text off to Christian and Christian is at the station now," he explained to Alex as he climbed from the bed and began tossing his clothes onto the bed.

He rushed into the bathroom and took a quick shower.

Alex fell backwards and hit the bed with a deep sigh. So much for that idea. Why couldn't the criminals in their district couldn't stay out of trouble for an hour or so, so that she could enjoy her husband! She stared up at the ceiling in frustration, now he had started she really didn't want to stop.

"Do us a favor and call Shaz and have her meet us at the restaurant. Chris is apparently on his way already with some uniform. Don't know if it's good news or not, but Rhys, Ginger and Ray were in the restaurant at the time picking up the food. Not sure they'll be able to do anything though," Gene said to Alex as he pulled his clothes on.

"We'll continue this discussion later," he said and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before running from the flat and to the car.

Alex pulled his head back and kissed him properly before letting him go and rolling over to pick up her phone. She scrolled down to Shaz' number and dialled it.

"Hey, Ma'am."

"Shaz. Get down to Rowan's now. Something's kicking off. Guv's orders!"

Shaz was a little startled by Alex's snappy tone but accepted her instructions regardless "I'm on it," she replied and shut off her phone. Shaz started the car up again and turned it back in the direction of the restaurant.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Whitney hurriedly got ready and gazed at herself in the mirror when she was finished. She'd worn one of the nicest outfits she'd dared to wear to school and had splashed out on asking Charlie to give her a ride so she could avoid the tube. She still couldn't believe it that Brett had asked her out. They'd been putting in so much time on the project, she had begun to think maybe he didn't like her that way. She was sure she'd looked like an idiot when he'd asked her out for Valentines Day.

She fixed her lipstick and fluffed her hair and bolted downstairs when she heard Charlie beep his horn.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

George looked up and shouted "No!" at the sound of sirens pulling up outside the restaurant. Rowan glanced over at Syed who nodded. She flashed him a quick smile and looked back at the gunman, and then at the others.

George went to the window and hurriedly dropped the blinds that Rowan had had put in, shutting out the view of the restaurant through the huge plate glass window.

Rowan gnawed her lip; she didn't like the look of that. George pulled two louvres apart and stared out at the arriving cars, glancing back at the others in the restaurant.

Ray held back at grin as he heard the sirens. He watched the gunman pull the blinds and waited patiently. By the sound of it, there was more than one car there. He sighed. Now, they waited. Hostage situations were the worst, especially when it was people you knew. He tapped his fingers together anxiously. He was used to being on the outside. Not trapped on the inside. He felt restless.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Rhys saw the gunman's attention distracted and grabbed Ffion's arm and gave it a shake.

"Pregnant, you have to be joking," he hissed.

Ffion slowly shook her head and Rhys frowned.

"Then who did it? You better tell me or so help me, Fee," he threatened, his voice low.

Rowan turned her attention to Ffion and shook her head at Rhys, hoping he would stop hassling Ffion. This was not the time or the place.

Rhys glared at Rowan and turned back to Ffion and tightened his grip on her arm.

"Who," he snapped, a little louder than he'd intended.

"Quiet!" George turned and ordered, pointing the gun at Rhys. Rhys hurriedly shut his mouth, but didn't let go of Ffion. George turned back to the window.

"Tell me now, Fee," he whispered, his tone still threatening. Ffion looked at her brother and swallowed hard at the look on his face.

"I can't," she replied. Rhys opened his mouth again, but Ffion cut him off. "I don't know. It...it could be two people."

"Are you sure about that?" he sneered. Ffion nodded hurriedly. "Yes, Rhys, I won't lie to you, I promise."

"Then you better name names," he insisted. Ffion shook her head. Ginger and Rowan both watched Rhys and Ffion, trying hard to hear what was being said. Rowan, because she was worried about Ffion; and Ginger, because he was worried about Rhys and Ffion both.

"Gerald, Alyssa's father," Ffion finally said in a small voice.

Rowan couldn't hold back a gasp of surprise and hurriedly covered her mouth. She glanced over at Ray and then looked back at Ffion.

Ray's eyes widened. Ffion had slept with Alyssa's dad? Woah! He glanced briefly at Rowan then focused his attention on the brother and sister. He narrowed his gaze at the gunman. Nobody was going to get shot. No way! He fixed his gaze on the gun and tried to work out a way to help the Guv as the phone rang.

"And the other..." Rhys encouraged, his voice slightly louder again.

"Look, you, I said be quiet. There's coppers outside now, so don't go making me angry or I will shoot someone!" George told them and pointed the gun at each of them.

Ffion shrank down next to her brother and rolled her lips under her teeth. Rhys glared but remained silent.

The phone on the counter next to the register began to ring and George went over and picked it up. "What?"

Whitney nearly ran to the cafeteria at lunchtime, though if she was being honest, she was looking forward to after school more than lunchtime. She got her food and sat at the table she and Brett usually shared.

Brett sauntered over to their usual table and sat in his usual place. "Hey Whit," he grinned as he sat opposite her and bit into his sandwich. "You still on for tonight?"

"Hi," Whitney greeted him cheerfully, trying to sound nonchalant and not as nervous as she felt. "Well, I dressed for the occasion," she replied and gestured at her outfit, "so I guess so," she grinned and took a bite of her salad.

Brett grinned at her and looked her up and down, appraising her with his eyes. He smiled at her. "I'll meet you in the carpark after you've finished class."

Whitney blushed and grinned as Brett looked her up and down. She covered her nerves by focusing on her salad and nodded.

"Where exactly in the carpark?" she asked. She had no idea where he parked.

Brett smiled at her, "You know where the teachers park? Well, just to the left there's this huge sign, can't remember what it says, but I'm in front of that," he grinned back.

Whitney nodded.

"Okay, I should be able to find that easy," she said.

/\\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\\\\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\\\

Gene jumped out of the car and peered in through the plate glass window at the front of Rowan's restaurant. There were his officers inside and Rowan and her staff minus James. At least she had only just opened and the place wasn't packed with customers. Small favors. He took Shaz' cell phone so he could call the restaurant. Time to negotiate with the scum.

He whipped around at a gesture from one of the PCs and saw the blinds get lowered one by one, blocking out the view of the restaurant. Gene growled and dialed the restaurant.

"Yes, hello scum, this is DCI Gene Hunt, what do you want to let those people in there go," he asked brusquely.

George began to laugh.

"Oh, let's see, how about a £100,000 and a safe ride out of the country," George chuckled.

"Fine, I'll see what we can do," Gene said and hung up the phone. He looked at Shaz. "He wants £100,000 and a safe ride out of here. I wish Alex was back, this is what she's good at," he sighed. "See what you can arrange and I'll see if we can't get in there and take him out somehow."

Shaz nodded and took her phone back. She immediately got onto the Superintendent and relayed the gunman's demands to him. She waited patiently as he went to check what they could offer.

Shaz thanked the Super and put the phone down. She went over to Gene "Okay. The most we can offer is a car for him and about £20,000," she informed him. "But we can put a tracker on the car."

"Fine," Gene remarked after listening to what Shaz had to say. "It will buy us some time. Call the scumbag."

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Ronnie finally climbed out of bed and took a long shower. She couldn't wait until this afternoon. She was leaning towards finding out, if only to make shopping and decorating the nursery easier.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Heads turned as the phone rang again and George picked it up. He carried the cordless handset to the window and peered out. "Well?"

Rhys took advantage of the distraction and shook Fee's arm again.

"Who's the other one, Fee, out with it," he demanded, keeping his tone low. Ffion glanced sidelong at her brother and then her gaze went helplessly to Rowan.

Rowan heard Rhys' question and turned her attention from the gunman on the phone to their conversation. Rhys really should let go of the girl's arm, she thought. Her eyes went wide as she saw Ffion turn to look at her and somehow Rowan felt a cold chill come over her and knew the answer to Rhys' question.

"No," she breathed. "No, no, no, that's...that's not fair. It should be me, it should be me," she whimpered, aware of the gunman behind her, but unable to keep the words back. "Why do I have to keep being punished? Why?" she continued, keeping her voice barely audible but felt the tears burning. She quickly did the math, Chris had clearly shagged Ffion before she and Ray had...she pushed the thought aside. She couldn't be angry with Chris for it; she realized she'd been right when she'd thought there had been someone else. But Ffion! And she might be carrying Chris' baby. That she couldn't abide.

She felt the fury building up, her chest constricting. "It should be me," she repeated, slightly louder.

Ray furrowed his brow in confusion. What should be Rowan? He looked to both Ffion and Rowan for answers.

Rowan uncoiled herself and stood. Ffion jerked her arm from Rhys and got up as well. She held out her hands to Rowan in supplication.

"I'm so sorry, it...it was an accident," Ffion attempted.

"It should be me carrying his baby, not you!" Rowan shrieked as she saw Ffion turn to look at the gunman and leapt for Ffion. "NOT YOU!"

Ray's eyes widened. His baby-Chris' baby? Crap. He watched Rowan get to her feet and start towards Ffion. Rowan was capable of taking Gene down, this wasn't going to be pretty! "Rowan. Now is not the time," he hissed at her and spared a glance at the gunman as he too got to his feet.

George tried to listen to the voice on the phone, but the two women were getting on his nerves.

"I said shut up!" he attempted to break in. He took two steps and watched the smaller woman jump to her feet. He pointed the gun at her, but she wasn't looking. She was looking at the pretty girl with the nice bum he'd touched earlier.

"Shut it!" George bellowed. Ffion glanced away from Rowan and at George as Rowan shrieked and leapt for her. Rowan saw the man's hand fly up from the corner of her eye and saw the flash of his aura as the gun swung towards Ffion who had turned to run from Rowan.

Rowan twisted as she moved and shoved Ffion aside. She yelped as the gun went off and crumpled to the ground.

"NO!" Ffion shrieked and put her hands to her face as Rhys grabbed her and yanked her to the floor and turned to the gunman in time to see Ginger take advantage of the gunman's distraction and tackle the man from behind, the gun and phone flying from George's hands as he hit the floor with a loud yell of protest.

Ginger hurriedly pulled his cuffs out and cuffed the man as JT bolted over and grabbed the phone and ran for the door.

Ray froze as he heard the shot. Shit. Ray ran to Rowan as she fell and grimaced. Blood. She had got hit. He took a deep shaky breath and rolled her gently onto her back. His eyes widened and he looked at Rhys. "Call an ambulance! NOW!" he growled and his eyes narrowed into furious slits. That bastard had shot Rowan! He sent a look of pure fury to the gunman and quickly took his jacket off, he pressed it to her wound on her collarbone to try and stem the bleeding. "It'll be okay Ro, you're going to be fine, stay still and keep looking at me okay," he told her softly as he tried not to think about the amount of blood coming out of her shoulder.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Shaz nodded and dialled the number of the restaurant. She fought the impulse to snap at the gunman and kept her tone calm. "We can get you £20,000 and a car," she told him.

Shaz could hear Rowan as she shrieked something. She looked to Gene in worry and then her eyes went wide in panic as the gun shot was heard. Rhys, Ginger, Ffion, Ray, Rowan, JT and Syed. Who?

"Ohmigod Ohmigod Ohmigod!" she said quickly. They needed to get in there.

She saw JT appear at the door and ran to it "JT! Please tell me everyone is okay!" she begged him desperately through the glass.

JT fumbled the keys into the lock and flung the door open.

"Call an ambulance, Rowan's been shot," he insisted and stepped back and put the door stop under the door to hold it open.

Shaz gasped and whipped out her phone immediately, she hastily dialled 999 and walked away so the person on the other side of the phone would be able to hear her over the sirens of the police cars.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Rhys wrapped his arms around his sister as she struggled.

"NO! Rowan, I'm so sorry, please," she sobbed and Rhys dragged her out.

Ginger hauled George to his feet and started pushing him out of the restaurant.

Rowan closed her eyes and turned her face from Ffion. She couldn't look at the woman who might be carrying Chris' child.

She looked up at Ray and shakily raised her hand on her uninjured side and traced a finger down his cheek.

"I wish I'd met you first," she whispered. "I wish..." she dropped her hand and turned away as she heard voices.

Ray's eyes widened and he shook his head. "You don't mean that Ro, trust me, you're losing blood that's all, you're delirious," he assured her. He didn't want to believe that she wished she had met him first, she loved Chris and that was no way to think. The baby could be Gerald's, surely Chris having a fling with Ffion was easier to get over than them having a kid together, with a kid you had a constant reminder. He shuffled back a little as Chris approached.

Rowan saw Chris come running over and drop to his knees next to her. He grabbed her hand and glanced at Ray before looking back down at Rowan.

Rowan pulled her hand from his grasp and Chris' brow furrowed in confusion.

"Ro...what?"

"Go away, Chris. You should go see to Ffion, seems she might be carrying your child," she said, and winced against the pain the jolt caused, her voice devoid of emotion. She felt hollow.

Chris' jaw dropped at her words and drew back from the look in her eyes. He looked up at Ray, at a loss. He reached out to Rowan again.

"Ro, please, I..."

"Get away from me, Chris," she snapped and turned her head and closed her eyes. "Go to Ffion, she can give you what you want," she added, her voice barely above a whisper.

Chris slowly stood up and backed away before going back outside.

Ray's heart clenched at the look on his best mate's face as Rowan sent him away. He sighed and looked down at the small woman, he applied a little more pressure onto her wound but the blood was still flowing strong. She was beginning to look a little pale.

"WHERE'S THAT BLOODY AMBULANCE?" he roared to no one in particular and then looked back down at Rowan. "It's okay, Ro, you're going to be fine, you and Chris, the pair of you. Trust me," he smiled weakly at her and took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. "Keep your eyes open, Rowan, stay awake for me," he told her as his gaze fixed on her face. He wished the ambulance would hurry.

Gene waited until Chris pushed past him out of the restaurant before heading over to Ray.

"Ambulance will be here in a tick," Gene told Ray and hunkered down. "Is it bad?" he asked as he looked at Rowan, who had her eyes shut. She was clearly crying. He looked back up at Ray.

Ray looked up at Gene and grimaced. He didn't say a word but lifted his blood soaked jacket to show Gene Rowan's wound. That said it all. He waited until he was sure Gene had an answer and immediately put pressure back onto it. "She's lost a lot of blood Guv, the ambulance better hurry," he murmured quietly so Rowan couldn't hear him.

Gene frowned at Ray, reached down and tore the material of Rowan's top over the wound. He snatched a cloth napkin from the closest table and wadded it up and put it over the wound.

"Here, hold that tight," Gene explained. He draped Ray's jacket over Rowan. "Keep her from going into shock."

He reached out and touched Rowan's forehead. "The ambulance will be here soon, love," he said, keeping his voice soft and reassuring. He got up and went outside and lit up.

Rowan opened her eyes and glanced around before looking back up at Ray. "I'm sorry, but I'm not delirious just yet. Please, forget I said anything. I should have kept my mouth shut," she said softly. She knew she was bleeding badly, but she still hadn't meant to say anything to Ray. She heard the ambulance siren and sighed.

JT came back in after calling Roxy and looked down at Rowan and Ray. "She shouldn't go to the hospital alone and I have to go give a statement," he remarked. "Gracious Goddess, what a mess."

He went and grabbed Syed's coat and took it out to him before coming back inside. He grabbed his own coat and his set of keys so he could lock up the restaurant.

Ray held onto the cloth and kept his eyes on Rowan. He sighed in relief as he heard the ambulance pull up and smiled down at her. "Ambulance is here, Rowan," he told her. He nodded at JT, he would have to go with her, he didn't mind as such. He had to be in the hospital later anyway, he had Ronnie's scan. If he was there already with Rowan then it meant she didn't have to pick him up. He looked up and stepped away slightly as the paramedics rushed towards them and took charge.

Rowan barely nodded at Ray's words.

Ray went to the kitchen and washed his hands, they were covered in Rowan's blood. He held his jacket in one hand and sighed as he dumped it in one of the huge bins behind the restaurant and cleaned his hands again. A look at a couple of PC's told them not to argue as he climbed into their car, he looked at Gene before he drove off.

"I'll follow the ambulance," he said and then waited patiently for the ambulance to drive away before following it to the hospital; she wouldn't want Chris there until she had calmed down and JT had to give a statement at the station. He would stay with her until someone else came along and took over.

He watched as the ambulance crew rushed in and started to bustle around Rowan. They did what they could on site and then hurriedly loaded her into the ambulance.

Rowan wasn't sure she would be able to stay awake much longer, her eyes were so heavy. She couldn't even cry now. What had happened to her? She'd been happy. Then things had gone wrong with Chris. Alyssa had helped fix them, but Rowan didn't think they'd been entirely fixed. She stared up at the top of the inside of the ambulance.

She was alone. All the years she'd spent on her own, she'd been happy. She wished once again she had stayed alone. She'd been good on her own. But she'd stayed here in Walford and she'd fallen for Chris and now she'd fallen for Ray, too. What had happened to her? How could she have done such a thing? She closed her eyes against her thoughts, but they wouldn't stop.

She had most likely lost Chris to Ffion and her baby and she'd never really had Ray. She felt herself getting weak and tired. She began to wish they wouldn't get to the hospital in time, then she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

She stared blankly ahead as they unloaded her from the ambulance and wheeled her to an operating theater.

Chris walked over to Ffion who was sobbing in her brother's arms.

"Is it true?" he asked her.

Ffion looked at him, but Rhys pushed her behind him and glared at Chris.

"Don't you think you've done enough?"

"Is it true she might be pregnant and it might be mine?"

"Yes," Ffion murmured and looked down.

"Is that enough? You got your answer," Rhys asked, his tone cold. Chris nodded and walked blindly away.

Ffion watched Chris walk away and fumbled out her phone.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rhys demanded. Ffion glared at him and walked away and dialed Alyssa's number. She needed to know about Rowan. How she was going to tell Gerald she was pregnant, she had no idea. And then there was Bradley to consider. Could she keep on with dating him, knowing she was pregnant? She didn't think she could. She'd clearly done enough damage already.

She snapped her phone shut, changed her mind and sent off a text to Gerald.

"Need to meet you SOON AS!"

She sighed and chose Alyssa's number again, this time letting it ring. She glanced back over at her brother and turned back. She couldn't look at him, not when he was this angry.

Shaz watched Rhys lash out at Chris, she frowned and made her way over, she took Fee from Rhys and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's sister. She stroked her hair and looked at Rhys; Ffion just wasn't upset over the shock of the gunman. "What's going on?" she whispered to them both as she held Fee tightly.

Ffion began to sob again and leaned against Shaz.

"I'm pregnant," she told Shaz softly. "Rhys is less than pleased with me. It could be Gerald's or Chris'," she told her and watched for the explosion.

Jack hurriedly got ready for school and woke Alyssa up.

"Good morning, my lovely Valentine," he said to her. "What time are you done tonight? I've made plans for us," he told her and kissed her.

Alyssa reached up and slipped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back. "Happy Valentines Day," she replied with a sleepy smile. She let go of him and sat up properly "Well...it's Valentines Day, so obviously we've got tonnes of appointments, but as far as I can remember the last one is at 5, so I should be finished by quarter past," she replied and smiled up at him. "Why? What plans?" she questioned.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise," Jack told her in a teasing tone and then sat back as she answered her phone. He kissed her forehead and gestured to let her know he had to leave for school.

Alyssa sighed and grabbed at her phone, she furrowed her brow at the caller ID, why was Ffion calling her so early? She shrugged and raised the phone to her ear "Hello?"

Ffion finally heard Alyssa's voice answer the phone and backed away from Shaz.

"Sorry to wake you Alyssa, but, there was this guy at the restaurant, he had a gun. Rowan's been shot," she began. "The ambulance has just got here so you should go to the hospital."

Ffion snapped her phone shut, she wasn't ready to say anymore to Alyssa about it.

She looked back at Shaz. "I've screwed up so bad."

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Gerald grumbled as his phone woke him and he read the text with a frown. Why did she need to see him? He grunted as he sent one back

"I'll be down at the restaurant later."

He replaced his phone and settled back down for another 40 winks. He would have breakfast at the Restaurant and see what was up then.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Ff ion heard her phone beep and looked down and nearly shrieked with frustration.

"Not restaurant. Will come to yours." she texted back to Gerald and put her phone away.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Chris sat at his desk and stared at the wall. What was he going to do? He wasn't sure Rowan would ever forgive him. He wasn't sure he could forgive himself.

Everything had gone wrong when he and Rowan had tried to have a baby. When it hadn't happened quickly, his impatience and anger had torn them apart. He wasn't sure they'd ever been fixed. Now Ffion was pregnant and the baby might be his. He was at a loss. He sighed and put his face in his hands.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Shaz turned back to Ffion as she hung up on Alyssa. "So, Chris and Rowan clearly know," she observed "What about Gerald, have you told him yet? You do know he's married right?" she quizzed, she hadn't been happy with Ffion having her affair with Gerald, but didn't feel capable of stopping her, she herself had had that affair with Bradley when he was married to Stacey, she didn't really have the right to judge, she hadn't got pregnant though! "Oh Fee!" she sighed. "What are you going to do?"

"Rowan only just found out, in there. That's why she got shot. It was my fault. She was lunging for me and she saw the man raise his gun and she sort of twisted and shoved me aside. She kept me from getting shot," she sobbed.

"I'm a terrible person, Shaz. This is all my fault."

She shook her head at Shaz' question. "I only just found out last night, I've not had a chance to tell him yet. But I'm going to have to."

Shaz watched Ffion run off and looked at Rhys, she sighed and rubbed her forehead with her sleeve. She walked up to him. "This isn't all her fault, it's partially mine, too," she mumbled to him. "If I had told you sooner that she was out all night then maybe this wouldn't have happened," she sighed. "Do you know how far gone she is?" she asked feeling deflated.

He shook his head. "She can't be that far gone can she? I think I know when she shagged Chris. It was about a week after he went on nights. One of the PC's told me the next morning that they'd brought Fee in after she'd got drunk and caused trouble at the club. Chris probably took pity on her and she no doubt cornered him somewhere in the station. At least, that's my guess. I suppose they could have been at it more than once, but that's the one time I can point to for when it likely happened. That would put her around 7 or 8 weeks I'd guess," he sighed as he watched Ffion vanish around a corner.

"I don't know what to do. I can't even get my head round it," he rubbed his face and watched the PCs getting statements from JT and Syed and shook his head.

Shaz slipped her hand into his and squeezed gently. "I know, it's hard to see Fee as a mum," she sighed and kept her gaze fixed on the corner Ffion had disappeared around. She shook her head and looked up at Rhys. "Whose do you think it is?" she whispered. She didn't know what to think. Ffion would have to do a paternity test to be sure. That would go down well. She gulped at the reactions of her friends and shook her head once more to rid it of the thoughts. She didn't want to think about it. They would cross that bridge later. She looked back up and Rhys and placed a finger under his chin to turn his face to hers.

"You have to be there for her Rhys. No matter what happens, you're her brother. Don't judge, just support, okay" she told him

"I'm trying, but I don't like this at all," Rhys growled. "She'll take a paternity test, she needs to know who did it as much as the one who did it needs to know."

He glanced at the restaurant and shook his head. "She'll likely lose her job over this. Rowan was...so angry. But when she saw that creep raise his gun..." he trailed off.

Shaz shivered and wrapped her arms around him. She hugged him tightly and gently. "Don't think about it Rhys. Just, trust Fee. She knows what she has to do," she bit her lip as she pulled away from him. "Who's gonna tell your mum?"

"No one is saying anything yet. I don't think she should go through with this if I'm honest. It's a mistake. But we'll have to wait and find out who the father is," he sighed. "Let's go," he said and pushed her towards the car.

Shaz sighed. She couldn't really see Ffion having an abortion. It didn't seem likely. She nodded at him and climbed into the car with another resigned sigh.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Ray watched Rowan get wheeled inside and shut the car door behind him, he went to the front desk and explained her situation and the desk-nurse told him which ward she would be in. He thanked her and went to the lift to get there.

His mind was all over the place, Rowan wished that she had met him first? Wished that she wasn't with Chris? Why? She had married Chris! She loved the bloke. He shook his head; she had lost quite a lot of blood when she had said that, surely she didn't know what she was saying or something, surely! What if he had met Rowan before he had met Ronnie? What would've happened then? Ray suddenly became aware of people watching him, the lift doors were open and he registered a voice.

"Isn't this your floor?"

Ray looked at the doctor who spoke and then at the floor number, he cleared his throat and nodded "Ta". Ray stepped out of the lift and went to the desk again, it seemed someone had handed in Rowan's details and he was told to wait and directed to a small waiting area where other parents, guardians and friends sat anxiously. He took his seat glumly and tried not to imagine life if he had met Rowan before Ronnie.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Alyssa waved Jack off with a smile as he left and then concentrated on Ffion. Her jaw dropped and she took a deep, shaky breath as Ffion hung up. Rowan. She shook her head wildly and then fired off a text to Gayna telling her that she was in charge today. Family emergency. She sprinted into the bathroom and showered and dressed as quickly as she could before calling Charlie, she needed a taxi to the hospital. He agreed to meet her as soon as he could once she had told him that Rowan had been rushed to hospital. She stood outside the house anxiously and paced as she waited. Gerald hadn't been up and she wasn't comfortable with waking her Dad. He would ask questions she couldn't answer. She sighed in relief as Charlie pulled up and she climbed into the cab and picked anxiously at her nails and stared blindly out of the window as he drove away from her home.

Alyssa hurriedly pressed some notes into Charlie's hand and dashed from the cab. She ran into the hospital and asked where Rowan would be, she was sent upstairs. Alyssa tapped her foot all the way up in the lift, much to the annoyance of one woman who told her to cut it out, a glare from Alyssa silenced her and she continued with her foot tapping. She flew from the lift as soon as it reached the floor she wanted and went to the desk. A tired-looking nurse told her to wait and sent her away. Alyssa looked at the waiting area and immediately spotted Ray. She took her seat next to him and looked at him. He hadn't noticed her, he was staring into space. She tapped his shoulder.

"Ray?"

Ray blinked a few times as someone brought him back to earth, he looked around and it took him a few moments to recognise the familiar redhead. "Oh, Hey, Lyss," he replied flatly.

Alyssa sat forward and rested her hands on her legs as she tried to keep all of her limbs still. It was hard, but gave her something to focus on. She didn't want to be told off for making annoying noises again. "What happened, Ray? Fee called me, but told me barely anything."

Ray sighed. "Gunman came into the restaurant. He started waving his gun around. Made us all sit on the floor," Ray realised that this wasn't going to make much sense unless he told her about the pregnancy, but he would only tell her about Chris, her Dad could tell her the rest. "Turns out Ffion is pregnant and it could be Chris' baby. You can guess Rowan's reaction."

Alyssa covered her mouth with her hands as she gasped, she would never have seen Chris as the type to cheat, especially not on Rowan. But, they had been going through a rough patch for a long time. It shouldn't surprise her that he had strayed, but pregnant! "She got pissed and..." Alyssa trailed off as she imagined the scene.

"Not pissed exactly, more...hysterical. It should've been her," he shrugged. Alyssa nodded her understanding and encouraged him to continue. "So, Ro goes for Ffion, sees the guy with the gun point it at Fee, then pushed her out the way and took the bullet herself," he held his head in his hands then looked up at her again. "Here," he gestured to his collar bone. "So much blood Alyssa, it just wouldn't stop. She's in theatre now," he added.

Alyssa nodded silently as she played out her reconstruction of the scene in her head. Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! She took a deep breath and started tapping her fingers together. Ray listened and almost smiled at the steady beat, he didn't comment, but just let her distract herself. He noticed some annoyed faces and shot them all a dark look; they all seemed to understand and looked away. Though he could see some had gritted their teeth.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Gerald heard the door slam, twice, and shrugged. Alyssa and Jack had gone. Good. No noises around the house then. He groaned as he noticed his phone was flashing and read Ffion's text. He sighed, if she was coming round the he supposed he should get up. Grudgingly, he went to get ready.

Ffion glanced around and then wrapped her coat around herself and hurried off towards Jack and Alyssa's house. She knocked on the door and hoped Gerald was there.

Gerald stumbled down the stairs and opened the door and stood back to let her in.

"Okay, Ffion, what's so important that it couldn't wait until a more reasonable time?" he demanded in a bored, resigned tone.

Ffion waited until he shut the door behind her and then folded her arms around herself. She felt so cold. She looked up at Gerald, momentary fear making her unable to speak. She finally opened her mouth.

"I...um...last night that is I um...I found out I'm pregnant," she stammered and then snapped her mouth shut and watched him, barely aware that she was shaking.

Gerald closed his eyes. What? Pregnant. She couldn't be. His eyes snapped open and he stood still and silent while he stared at her. His eyes dropped to her stomach. She couldn't be too far gone; But they had always been so careful! He ran all of their encounters through his head trying to remember...Christmas! The first time they had met. He had been so swept up he hadn't stopped to think to...

He realised he had said nothing to her for about 5 minutes and cleared his throat. "You're sure it's mine?"

His gut clenched. Caroline. She would be furious. She would kill him. No. She would rip Ffion to shreds then make his life hell. And the baby, Alyssa and Benjamin's sibling. He cringed; the child would be young enough to be his grandchild. Poor kid. Alyssa. He shuddered as he remembered her reaction to him snagging Ffion the first time. How would she react to a child? Not well.

He was going to be a Daddy. For the third time. His eyes bored into hers as he stared at her. "You have to be absolutely CERTAIN that it's mine," he told her.

"I know. It's either you or one other. I'm going to have a test done to be sure. I looked at the calendar after I did the pregnancy test and I think it happened around Christmas. Rhys is furious. Rowan...I thought she was going to rip me to shreds, but then that guy with the gun, when he pointed it at us, she pushed me aside and he shot her. It was so awful," she wailed and sank to the floor.

"What am I going to do?"

Gerald frowned. Gun? Rowan? He shook his head and picked Ffion up off the floor. He carried her into the lounge and dropped her onto the sofa and went to the kitchen. He came back with a glass of water and thrust it at her. He sat next to her and ran a hand over his head.

"Now, what are you going on about? Gunshots and all that?" he asked "And what's Rowan got to do with anything?"

"Some escaped criminal held us hostage at the restaurant. That's how it came out, I just sort of said it," she replied softly.

"Rowan's upset because it might be Chris. It's either you or him."

Gerald nodded slowly then looked at her.

"Are you keeping it?"

Ffion looked up at him. "I don't know what I'm going to do," she replied. "I should go and get the things for the test. I'm sorry," she whispered.

Gerald shook his head at her "I'm sorry, too. If it is mine then you're going to experience hell," he sighed. "Caroline will blow her top," he said. "You've seen Alyssa angry?" he asked. "Well, her temper is nothing compared to her mother's," he mumbled.

He straightened up and shrugged at her. "You do whatever you feel you should do. It's your kid, Ffion."

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Rowan opened her eyes and groggily glanced around. Hospital. Her gaze moved around the room and she saw the doctor with his back to her, reading over a clipboard. She reached up her right hand and touched the place near her left shoulder where she'd been shot and glanced up at the drip. She sighed softly and the doctor turned.

"You're awake, good, how do you feel?"

Rowan looked up at him and shrugged slightly.

"We got the bullet out and got you stitched up, but you lost a lot of blood," he told her. Rowan just looked at him. She had nothing to say. She was alive and she'd have to figure something out now.

The doctor frowned and put the clipboard back where it belonged and left the room. He went to the waiting area and saw the large man and the fiery-haired woman sitting there. He walked over to them.

"I don't suppose one of you is here for Rowan Tremaine?" he asked.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Alyssa and Ray looked up at the doctor together and Alyssa's tapping stopped immediately. They both nodded and Alyssa stood while Ray remained sitting.

Alyssa nodded. "I'm her sister, is she okay?" she asked, trying to discern Rowan's state from the doctor's expression.

Ray got to his feet heavily. If Rowan had said those things and actually meant to say them, then things between them would be a little awkward. "I'm her friend," he mumbled to the doctor and met the bloke's eyes. Alyssa worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "Can we see her?" she asked, her eyes were still wide with the worry she held for her sister.

The doctor looked at both of them.

"We got the bullet out and the wound stitched up. She lost a lot of blood, so we've given her blood. She's awake, but she's unresponsive. I think it would be a good idea to go in. See if you can't get her to talk. She doesn't look...right," he sighed and shrugged. "I don't know how else to say it."

He shifted his gaze between them again and then walked away to get back to work.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Alyssa let go of her bottom lip and nodded. She dashed to Rowan's room and pushed open the door. She went to her bedside and planted a swift kiss on her forehead. Unresponsive. He was right, she didn't look right. "Rowan?" she said softly and stroked a lock of hair out of the way of Rowan's face.

"Ro, how do you feel? What happened? I got a call off Fee and Ray...Ray's outside," she raised her head to look out of the window. Ray stood there, looking through the glass, saying nothing and not moving. Just watching. Alyssa raised an eyebrow at him then looked back at Rowan.

Rowan shifted her gaze to Alyssa.

"Ffion might be having Chris' baby," she said, her tone devoid of emotion, her eyes blank. "I don't care that he...he...it happened when he was working nights. I thought there'd been someone else and I would be a hypocrite if I couldn't look past that," she continued.

"But a baby, I can't..." she trailed off.

"I'm sure I could invite her into our union, but I don't like her well enough and how could I with her being pregnant and giving him the one thing I'm having trouble giving him," she barely shook her head.

She looked at the ceiling and then back at Alyssa. "I never should have stayed here."

Rowan looked back up at the ceiling. She wished Ray would come in and hoped she hadn't wrecked things between them with her inability to keep her mouth shut.

Alyssa stiffened with shock. She took a shaky breath and exhaled slowly, Chris and Ffion. She swallowed. "Surely, I mean..." Alyssa shook her head. She hadn't a clue what to say. Her heart clenched at the thought of Rowan leaving, she didn't want her to go. She knew it was selfish, but she didn't want Rowan to go away. She was in no position to stop her.

Alyssa frowned. Hypocrite? How exactly? "Ro, you're hardly a hypocrite! He went and slept with someone else, you didn't!" she sighed and kissed Rowan's hand as she held it. "You know you can have a baby, Ro, it's just going to take time that's all, Chris knows that too. He loves you, Ro," she assured Rowan almost desperately.

Rowan closed her eyes and opened them again. "I know it's going to take time, but I'm not sure Chris has got past that. Just because he knows it doesn't mean he accepts it." She paused and sighed.

"And I did...sleep with someone else," she corrected tonelessly. "He left me alone and I was certain he was going to leave me for good. I needed someone. I don't regret it."

Alyssa frowned, had she heard right? Rowan had slept with someone else? She opened her mouth to comment, but then thought better of it. Rowan didn't seemed phased by it and clearly didn't feel guilty. She had to admit, though, she was curious about who she had slept with. There weren't that many choices in Walford. Not people she would consider Rowan going to anyway.

Alyssa studied Rowan's face and her curiosity got the better of her. True enough there were not all that many people that she could see Rowan sleeping with. So who had she actually slept with? She bit her lip for a moment as she briefly deliberated whether or not to go ahead and ask. Her curiosity won out and she swallowed as she watched her sister.

"Umm, Ro, who exactly did you cheat on Chris with?" she asked softly.

Rowan looked at Alyssa, surprised but not surprised she would ask who. She pondered a moment. She knew Ray was outside; she would have to make sure Alyssa didn't say anything. Things were becoming odd enough between her and Ray after her confession earlier. JT knew, but JT was also Kin and had been sworn to secrecy.

"If I tell you, you have to promise to keep it to yourself. You can't say anything, please. Especially not…..not to him," she requested softly.

Alyssa nodded. "I promise Ro, I'm not going to tell anyone!" she assured her truthfully.

Rowan looked at Alyssa and blinked slowly, taking great care not to look at the door. She knew Ray was on the other side. She drew in a deep breath.

"You remember when you came over on Boxing Day?" she began hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. She began to pick nervously at a fingernail, focusing her gaze on her hands, unable to look at Alyssa. "Ray was staying there because Ronnie had thrown him out. Well, he…he'd been drinking …some and…" she broke off.

She glanced at Alyssa and back down. "Ray followed me when I went to change clothes and he….he kissed me."

She closed her eyes and willed the tears away and looked at Alyssa, her gaze pleading Alyssa to understand. "I was so alone and hurting so bad and he….Ray…he….he wanted me and he was holding me and kissing me and I just…I didn't want to be alone anymore," she finished in a small voice.

Alyssa listened to Rowan carefully and couldn't help but gasp as Rowan told her. She resisted her urge to look around and glance at Ray, but instead kept her gaze fixed on Rowan. She reached over and took Rowan's hand.

"I won't tell Chris, and I won't mention it to anyone," she promised and leaned over to hug Rowan carefully.

"It's over now right?" she asked as she pulled away and gave Rowan a look.

Rowan met Alyssa's gaze and then slowly nodded. "It is….now, yes."

Rowan sighed as she held tightly to Alyssa's hand and looked at her, her eyes filled with dismay. "I love him, Lyss. I'm not sure when it happened, but I do. I…we….the second time it just happened. I don't know how or why. The third time, the last time, we planned it. I….I begged him for one more time. We swore it would be the last. But I didn't want it to be. I want him so much, Lyss."

She swiped at the few tears that had trickled down her cheek. She heaved a great sigh and looked at Alyssa again. "And now, now…." she trailed off. There were no words.

The tears leaking from Rowan's eyes did not escape Alyssa's notice. She let go of Rowan's hand and leaned over the bed carefully to give her a longer hug. She held her sister and stroked her hair. "It's okay Ro, I understand," she said softly as she moved to perch on the bed so that she was more comfortable.

She cupped Rowan's cheeks as she pulled back slightly and sighed. "It's going to be okay you know," she said, her voice taking on a slightly brighter note. "You'll get over him Ro, you've got Chris, the guy practically worships you. Sure your relationship had a blip, but everyone's does sooner or later," she said positively.

"Oh, Lyss. I don't know. Things never really went back to the way they were before Christmas, and now this whole business with Ffion. I'm not entirely sure we can recover."

She swallowed hard. "I told Ray, after I'd been shot and he was there next to me, trying to help me and I told him…..I said I wished I'd met him first," she hung her head and scrubbed at her face with a small noise of frustration. "How did this happen? Why did it happen?"

She couldn't stop herself and glanced at the door before looking back at Alyssa. "I feel so empty, so hollow."

Alyssa sat there on Rowan's bed, at a lose at what to say. She didn't have any words of wisdom to offer. She simply held Rowan's hand supportively. "You do know whatever you decide to do, I'm always going to be there for you," she said quietly and squeezed Rowan's hand gently.

"Do Chris or Ray know about this emotional whirlwind going on inside you, Ro?" she asked cautiously "Because, I think they should."

"Ray I think has a small idea; I did say what I said after all. I have no desire to talk to Chris right now. I'm too angry. The thought that he could be the father of her child…I just can't take it in," she sighed. "You should go and send Ray in. I need to talk to him."

She looked at Alyssa. "Remember, don't say anything to him. It's not entirely his fault. Besides, he'd never pick me over Ronnie, not in a million years. I know that, I do. Hopefully sometime soon, my heart will believe it, too. Thank you for listening and not judging me. I'm getting tired now and I want to talk to Ray. But you should know one thing and I'm telling you this because you'll need time to calm down. Chris is one of two people who could be the father," she squeezed Alyssa's hand and then let it go and said no more. It would occur to Alyssa soon enough.

Alyssa squeezed Rowan's hand back. She looked on sympathetically at her sister, she was so torn up over this. Alyssa silently remembered that Ray was the reason that Rowan had vanished off to America. She wished that life was as simple for Rowan as it was at the moment for her. But she was here if Rowan needed her. She was always there for her. Alyssa went and kissed Rowan's hand again. Then let go and rubbed her head with the heel of her hand.

"Come back later when I've had some sleep. I'm clearly going to live so..." Rowan said.

Alyssa sighed down at Rowan. She wasn't herself. No surprises there after the emotional blow she had been delivered, but it was upsetting to see her this way. She kissed her hand again and left the room.

Ray watched Alyssa as she spoke to Rowan and leant against the wall opposite the window and watched the two women, one lying still, one sitting anxiously. He shook his head. Alyssa had turned up, why was he still here? He knew why. He couldn't leave her while she was like this. He physically couldn't. He sighed and fixed his eyes on Rowan through the smeared glass of the window.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\

Alyssa looked directly at Ray as she went and leant against the wall next to him. "She wants to see you," she said indifferently. She watched Ray walk to the room as she tried to puzzle out what Rowan had meant. Calm down. Why? She was calm. Two possible fathers? Her mind was full of Rowan's words, why would she need to calm down? She struggled to understand; Two fathers? Chris and...who? Rowan clearly thought that she would get angry. What would make her angry? Jack! If the father was Jack! No. She shook her head, he would've told her, and Fee had never shown any sort of...

Alyssa froze as she worked it out. No! It wasn't Jack. Dad! Ffion had slept with her Dad. Christmas Day, that would make her, Alyssa did the calculations quickly, about 7 weeks pregnant. She gulped and fought her rage. She had already blown up over Gerald sleeping with Ffion. Before she found out that he had got her pregnant. She felt sick; Ffion would give birth to her sibling, a sibling young enough to be her own child. She swallowed and her gaze went to Rowan and Ray in the room. Rowan and her emotionless state. Alyssa would be able to cope with her Dad having another baby, eventually anyway. But Rowan... Alyssa let out another shaky breath. No, it would be better if the baby was Gerald's.


	16. Chapter 16

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 16**

Rowan felt her heart beat faster as Ray walked in the room. She heard the change in the sound of the heart monitor and forced herself calm. She watched him sit down and clutched her hands together. She wanted so much to touch him.

Ray took the seat next to Rowan's bed and looked over at her bandage; his eyes followed the small plastic pipe coming out of her hand and glanced at the bag above her head. He looked at it for a moment then looked back down at Rowan.

"You okay?" he voice was a little hoarse from lack of use and he cleared his throat and attempted a brighter expression.

"I have to apologize. I should have kept my mouth shut. I never meant..." she sighed in frustration and looked at her hands. "I don't want to make you awkward around me and I don't want to lose you as a friend. It just came out. I...I wasn't sure what was going to happen to me and I lost control."

He stopped thinking and looked at her properly. "It's fine, Rowan. Honestly, I understand, you panicked," he tried to smile at her, but couldn't quite manage it.

She looked back at Ray. "You should know, if it turns out to be Chris' I may leave. I don't like Ffion well enough to invite her into mine and Chris' union. She's not family to me and I wouldn't be able to cope watching her have Chris' child, giving him what I'm having a difficult time giving him. I'd rather get out the ritual cord and sever the knot and let him go."

Ray sat calmly as she spoke. Why did she have to do this, if she was happy with Chris it made life easier, it meant that he could be happy with Ronnie. But if she wasn't happy, he didn't think he would be properly happy either. For some reason this woman had some sort of influence on him. As he had sat outside and waited for her to wake up he had mused over her words, he had thought about what it would've been like if he had met Rowan first. He had forced himself to think of their first meeting: how would it have gone if she hadn't already been with Chris? He couldn't be sure, but he could fantasise. But he shouldn't: He was happy with Ronnie. He hadn't had a proper relationship before Ronnie, he had never felt for anyone the way he felt for Ronnie. But Rowan...

He only had one way of describing it. It was like, he and his emotions, especially the feelings he held for Ronnie, were like a glass of water, clear and simple: He understood them. Rowan was like a big glug of cordial somebody had unwittingly added, and it swirled and mixed in with the water, overwhelming him.

He stared at her sternly. "You'd run away from the situation rather than deal with it you mean," he clarified stiffly.

She turned and looked at him, feeling her throat swell as she traced his face with her eyes. "Deal with what? It's a total mess. I never should have stayed here. I don't know how to deal with this. I feel completely shredded. I can _deal_ with the fact he shagged her. I've not done any better. But if Chris is the father, I'll be alone again and trapped here. He would have to be with her."

She twisted her hands, trying to avoid the IV in the back of her right hand.

"And it would be so much worse because I love you, too, and I could never ask you to be with me. How could I stay here? How could I possibly deal with that?" she ignored the tears that had begun to fall. "To watch the two men I've let myself fall for with other people," she shook her head.

"I actually hoped on the way here that the ambulance wouldn't get here fast enough. It's horrible to say, I know, but it seemed such an easy solution. But they made it and I'm here."

She turned back to him. "Yes, the restaurant is away from the Square, but what about going to the pub and stuff. I wouldn't be able to. It would be too hard and too painful and I don't deserve to be punished. I don't."

Ray softened at her words and took her hand gently. She loved him. But she was right, he knew how painful it was to watch Ronnie kiss somebody else, Rowan didn't deserve that pain. A thought occurred to him and he cocked his head to one side. His other hand brushed away her tears softly.

"Rowan, you're thinking of the worst case scenario. What if the baby isn't Chris'? Then what? You stay and deal with the fact that he slept with Ffion. Once. And, I don't mean to make you feel guilty, but we slept together, what 4 times? And, if the baby isn't Chris' then you two go back to normal, because although you love me, you love him, too. You've got to consider both sides of the coin," he explained.

"I don't _care_ that he slept with Ffion," she told him, closing her eyes at his touch. She hadn't wanted him to touch her, but now she didn't want him to stop. She pushed the thoughts aside. "I never said I didn't love him. I just hope we can go back to normal because I'm afraid this is going to drag the whole baby thing up again."

She shifted her hand in his and squeezed. "And it was only three times, unless you're asking for another," she said and managed a wry chuckle. She pressed her head back into the pillow and sighed.

Ray chuckled at her. "Maybe I imagined the fourth time, then. Not that that's a bad thing," he told her thoughtfully.

"I'm so tired," she whispered and turned her eyes to him. She squeezed his hand again and took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She wondered how long he would stay. She wished he would never leave.

He looked down as she squeezed his hand and squeezed back gently. "Go to sleep then you daft woman!" he chortled at her.

He leant back in his chair and kept his hand in hers. "I've got to go in a bit, Ronnie's scan," he explained. "I should be back afterwards though," he told her and rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand.

"Thank you," Rowan breathed and drifted off, glad of the feel of Ray holding her hand. She didn't want to be alone here in the hospital.

Ray sat quietly as he just held her hand. He checked his watch. He needed to meet Ronnie, her scan was very soon. But he didn't want to leave Rowan on her own. He looked over his shoulder and sighed. Alyssa had disappeared again. He looked back down at Rowan and waited for someone to show so that she wasn't alone…

/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\

_Alex sighed. She decided to wait for Rowan in the café as Rowan had said that's where she would eventually be._

_Ronnie pulled up in front of the café on her bike and parked. She removed the helmet and quickly ran her hand through her hair. She noticed the woman she'd met at the pub last night walking up to the café. "Alright?" she said pleasantly as she dismounted the bike._

_Alex simply smiled at the woman. "Hopefully," she replied. "Want to join me for a coffee?" she offered. "I'm really not in the mood to sit by myself just now."_

_Ronnie tucked her helmet under her arm and pushed her hair behind her ear. "I can for awhile. I've told my sister I'd do a shift in her pub tonight," she said with a wry laugh._

_Alex nodded. She followed the woman into the café. Maybe she should ring again. They might be back. Gene certainly drove fast and recklessly enough for them to be. Alex typed the number into the phone. Her thumb hovered over the green call button as she contemplated her move._

_"I'll have a tea, please," Ronnie said to Bianca, who was behind the counter. She spotted the cake Rowan had brought to the café earlier that day._

_"I'll have one of those pieces of chocolate cake aswell," she continued and then looked at Alex. "You?"_

_Alex looked up from Rowan's phone, her thumb still hovering over the button._

_"Oh, I'll have a mocha, please," she said to Jane and handed over the cash she had dug out of her pocket. Alex took her drink and sat down at the table furthest away from the counter. She placed the phone in front of her and stared at it._

_Ronnie paid Bianca and took her mug of tea and her cake and sat down across from Alex. She followed Alex's gaze to the cell phone sitting on the table._

_"Complicated phone call?" Ronnie asked. She'd had more of those than she could count in the past._

_"I'm not sure yet. Don't know what to expect," Alex replied. Alex summoned all of her courage and pressed the button. Her courage faltered and she pressed loudspeaker. It rang. A gruff voice answered._

_"Fenchurch East CID, DCI Hunt speaking."_

_Ronnie raised her brows when Alex put the phone on speaker. She wondered first why Alex would be calling the police, but the sound of that sexy voice on the other end of the line gave her an inkling of an idea._

_Alex froze momentarily. She looked at Ronnie, then took a deep breath._

_"Gene?" she answered softly._

_Ronnie took a sip of her tea and sat quietly, unwilling to interrupt._

_Rowan entered the café and smiled at Bianca. "I am in desperate need of a burger and chips," she said with a grin. "Throw in a cold can of cola as well."_

_There was a pause on the other end. Alex sat nervously._

_"Bolly?"_

_The answer finally came and Alex breathed. His voice had changed tone, though. It sounded anxious, but as though he was trying to hide his anxiety. That was Gene all over she thought. Never betraying anything._

_"I got your ..…um… letter," she answered._

_Rowan turned around and saw Alex sitting in the back corner with someone else she couldn't see. Her cell phone that she'd let Alex borrow was open on the table in front of Alex and she just made out a voice from the phone speaker say: "Bolly?"_

_It took little effort for Rowan to figure out the voice belonged to this Gene that Alex was in a dilemma over. She took the cold can of cola Bianca handed her and pointed out the table next to where Alex was sitting._

_"I'll be over there. Thanks Bianca. Oh, and I brought more brownies," she added, placing the container on the counter. She then turned and walked over to sit down at the table next to Alex._

_Alex looked up at the sight of Rowan and nodded at her. Alex couldn't do this alone._

_Rowan sat down and saw a woman she remembered seeing in the pub the previous night. She couldn't think of the woman's name at that moment, but was pretty sure she remembered that she was related to the other women in the pub, the one she thought was the landlady, the one that reminded her of Karen._

_She nodded at Ronnie anyway and Ronnie nodded back and smiled. Rowan noticed in passing that Ronnie was eating a piece of the Texas sheet cake she'd made. She allowed herself an inward smile._

_Alex looked up at Rowan as she sat with them. She gave her an anxious smile before replying to her DCI._

_"It's me." She returned hesitantly. "Chris gave me your letter."_

_Alex heard a door open the other end of the phone. She heard Ray's familiar voice say._

_"Guv?"_

_And Gene's tone changed to a menacing rumble._

_"Piss off, Ray, you useless arsewipe!"_

_His voice was muffled, but she still heard every word. She gasped inwardly at his sudden attitude problem and gave Rowan a worried look._

_Rowan looked back at Alex, trying hard to keep her mouth from hanging open. She could rarely sense people over a phone line unless she focused really hard and even then it didn't often work, but she could not help but feel the sudden change that came over the man on the other end of the line. She could only gaze at Alex and shake her head in confusion and wait and see._

_Alex's mouth stayed open from her gasp. "Guv?" she said reverting back to his title rather than his name._

_"What?" came the reply._

_Alex panicked. She didn't know what to say to him. She still wasn't ready to see him._

_"I have to go Bolls, Ray...well the case needs solving," came his voice._

_She sighed and switched off the phone._

_She handed it back to Rowan and let out a sigh of relief. All the tension had vanished from her body as she disconnected herself from him._

_Rowan and Ronnie looked at each other, uncertain how to proceed._

_Rowan accepted her phone back from Alex, her hand shaking ever so slightly. She opened her mouth to say something, then shook her head and took a drink of cola. She gazed at her lunch, she wasn't very hungry now._

_Ronnie looked at Alex awhile and then sniffed._

_"So, do you want to go see that sexy-voice bloke?" she asked._

_Alex looked up._

_"I don't know yet. But something is definitely wrong."_

_She turned to Rowan._

_"Thank you," she sighed. "Do you think that something else has triggered the behaviour or just what he put in the letter?" she asked. She had never known something that had such a huge effect on her Manc Lion before._

_"You're welcome," Rowan said as she tucked away her phone and finally decided to make a start on her lunch. The effect of what she had felt coming from the other end of the line was fading and she had her appetite back. Rowan considered Alex's question. She glanced uncertainly at Ronnie. How could she phrase it? She decided to just answer briefly and to the point with no extra explanations added in. She wanted to avoid that for now._

_"The letter."_

_Alex nodded. He had really let his feelings run riot._

_"I need to get more information out of Chris," she mused._

_Rowan couldn't help the rush of pleasure that coursed her veins when she heard Chris' name. She couldn't help smiling._

_"He's at work, well, now anyways," she stammered, blushing a bit._

_Alex noted Rowan's blush._

_"I know. I could call him out on the pretense that I needed him. I am still a DI, you know. They have to listen to me." She smiled slyly at the thought. It would feel good to assert a bit of authority._

_Rowan blushed again at Alex's knowing look. "Yes, I suppose you could at that," she commented and took a sip of tea._

_"The Walford police station is just over there, I could give you a ride if you want, if you don't mind being on the bike," Ronnie offered. "But that's all I can do. I'll have to go to the pub straight after."_

_"Come back here when you're done and if you want to go see him, I'll go with you," Rowan offered._

_Jane smiled at Rowan, and pulled up a chair opposite her, clearly needing to talk._

_Ronnie brought Alex back to the cafe when they finished at the station. She still couldn't get over how much fun it had been watching Alex make Marsden squirm! She gave Alex a quick wave goodbye and then headed for the pub._

_Alex thanked Ronnie as she walked off and strolled back into the café, at least she wouldn't be facing Gene alone, she would have someone with her at least._

_/\\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\_

_Rowan looked up as Alex walked back in, still in shock from buying the cafe. She patted Alyssa's hands and walked over to Alex._

_"Sorry for looking like a deer in headlights, it seems I've just bought the cafe," Rowan said. "So, do we stay or do we go?" she asked. her. "I've got Bianca to agree to watch the place for a couple more hours then close it up. So, I'm all yours. I just have to change my top, though," she remarked and sniffed. "I smell like food," she stated and wrinkled her nose._

_Alex beamed at Rowan wide-eyed._

_"Wow! Seriously? Congratulations, I guess," she grinned. "You go and change your top, I'll call a cab and meet you outside the pub in a bit," she smiled with a shrug and pulled out her phone and scrolled down to the taxi company she had programmed in. _

_"Well, sure," Rowan said, surprised at Alex's reaction."I can't let you go there alone, I just can't," Rowan told her. "I keep a spare in my bag; I'll just go change and be outside in a minute, okay?"_

_Alex smiled at Rowan as she walked outside and ordered them a cab._

_Rowan went over to Alyssa and told her where she was going and what she was doing and then grabbed her bag from behind the counter and went into the bathroom to change. She grimaced as she saw the top she'd brought. It was one of her favorites, a lovely shade of dark violet, but it was tight. She shrugged. She had expected to be going home after work and it didn't matter what she wore there. But it was a pretty top at any rate and looked fine otherwise. She pulled her hair out of the clip and headed outside, brushing it hurriedly as she walked over to Alex._

_"Okay, done," she said, idly wishing she had a jacket._

_Alex smiled at her and nodded. Now they were doing this, the jellyfish had returned to prowl her stomach. She was unsure what to expect. She saw the cab as it pulled up and nodded at it as she walked with Rowan towards it. She sat inside and made room for Rowan then leant forward and gave her instructions to the driver. She sank back into her seat as he started to drive and watched the city of London fly by._

_/\\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\_

JT and Syed finished giving their statements and went back inside the restaurant.

"What should we do? Ffion's gone and Rowan's in hospital," Syed asked.

"Well, I think we should lock up for the day and take the food to the station. I should go and see Ro in there anyway. She's gonna need her family," JT replied.

Syed nodded. "Let me know if you need me to come back later and help clean up," Syed told him as he picked up several of the bags.

"I don't think I'll need any help, but thanks."

He grabbed up the rest of the bags and followed Syed out. He locked the door and headed for the station and dropped off the food.

"Ta, lads," Gene said. "Any news on Rowan yet?" he asked JT who shook his head.

"I'm going to go over there in a bit. Have to let Roxy know where I'll be. Is Chris here?"

Gene nodded. "Sat at his desk like a corpse."

JT nodded and walked back to Chris' desk and leaned over.

"You going to go to see Rowan?"

Chris looked up at JT and blinked. "She doesn't want to see me."

"How do you know?"

"Didn't you hear her chase me away in the restaurant?"

"You should still go see her and you should find out when Ffion is going to have a test to find out who the daddy is."

"JT, right now I just want to be left alone."

"Fine," JT snapped and stalked away and went to the pub to let Roxy know what had happened and let her know where he would be.

Chris sighed and stood up and walked to Gene's office.

"Guv, I'm going to go now. I've been here since 3 this morning and I'm no good here."

Gene looked at Chris steadily and finally nodded.

Chris pulled on his coat and went to the restaurant. He looked around at the breakfast mess and began to clean.

"Well, I can have a temper, too," Ffion said and stood up. "And it's not only my kid."

She grabbed Gerald's face and pulled him for a kiss. "I love you and I hope you end up the father. Do you want to come with me? Get your sample in? Then only Chris would have to. I've heard it only takes a couple of days."

Bradley looked at his phone. Why hadn't Ffion replied to his texts? Maybe her phone was off. He wanted to double check the time for dinner.

/\\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\

Whitney found it difficult to concentrate and had to redo the sleeve on her drawing several times before it was what she wanted. She couldn't wait for school to end.

Brett was happy, verging on ecstatic throughout his lessons, earning him some puzzled looks from his classmates at his sudden good mood. He told them nothing, but smiled mysteriously when they asked him why he was so happy. He could barely wait.

Ronnie went to the bank and picked up the paperwork and then stopped at the club and called Jack. He'd finally asked her to make an offer and now she had the numbers she could. She tapped her fingers on the desk as she waited for him to pick up.

"Hi, Jack, I'd like to make an offer," she said and then named a figure less than what the bank was giving her to start. She gnawed her lip and he pondered her offer and tried not to shriek with joy when he accepted it.

"Oh, that's brilliant, Jack. You won't regret this. I've got a loan from the bank and if you'll email me the details I'll get the money to you."

She spoke with him for a few more minutes, making arrangements for signing the paperwork so the club would be hers and then hung up. She glanced at the clock and smiled. Almost time for the scan.

/\\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\

Gerald blinked. Did he hear right? She loved him? He sighed inwardly, now he really was in for it. He nodded at her regardless. "Get it over and done with," he said as he stood.

Ffion looked at him wide-eyed and blinked before nodding and moving for the door. Why was he being so cold? She was pregnant, that was why. But surely he had fallen for her too? He should be holding her, telling her everything would be okay. That he would sort it.

She felt at a loss as she walked out of the house and pulled out her phone to get a cab to the hospital.

Ffion glanced back at Alyssa's house and then climbed into the cab. She would have to bring everything. She went to the main reception desk when she got to the hospital.

"Um, I need to get a paternity test done."

The woman nodded and gave her forms to fill out and told her where to go. Ffion trudged to where she was supposed to go and submitted the forms and took the things they gave her. She sat and waited and went in when they called for her to get a sample of the baby's DNA.

She left the hospital and called the restaurant. Shagging Chris didn't mean she had his phone number.

Chris sat on the couch nursing a beer. He heard the phone ring downstairs and went down to answer it.

"Hiya, Chris? It's Ffion. I've got the swab things for the paternity test," she told him. "I'll stop by with it, if that's all right."

"Yeah, s'pose," Chris replied, his tone bland. He put the phone down and sat in the chair behind the counter and watched the door.

Ffion arrived a few minutes later and tapped at the door. Chris went to the door and opened it and looked at Ffion. She silently handed him a swab. He used it and put it in the wrapper and handed it back to Ffion. She fished in her bag and wrote his name on the wrapper with a pen and stuck the plastic packet in her pocket.

"Thank you. I'm really sorry, Chris. I didn't mean this to happen."

"I know," he finally said. "Let me know when we can find out."

She nodded and looked at the ground. "I suppose Rowan will fire me. I don't blame her."

Ffion turned and walked back to Jack and Alyssa's house. She needed Gerald's sample, then she could get it sent in. She approached the house slowly and knocked on the door.

Gerald put his mug down and heaved himself out of his chair. The test. His face was expressionless as he opened the door and stood back to let her inside, "What have I got to do then?" he asked as he went back to the kitchen and took his seat once more.

Ffion handed him the wrapped swab. "You just swipe it in your mouth, they said," she told him and stepped back. She'd never seen him so cold. She started to wonder why she was bothering. She could easily solve the whole problem and it wouldn't matter who was the father. She had decided to take the swabs back and hand them in personally. Maybe she would just see about ending the whole thing. Then, no one would be mad at her anymore.

She had shut her phone off because Bradley kept calling her. She didn't know what to say to him. The gossip would be around the Square soon enough and then he wouldn't want to take her to dinner anymore.

Ronnie got to the hospital and followed the directions to the ultrasound lab. She peered inside and smiled at the woman tech seated at the machine and making notes who looked up at the sound of Ronnie's footsteps.

"Hello, I've an appointment. Veronica Mitchell."

"Yes, hello, Miss Mitchell. Will it just be you?"

"No, the father should be here soon," she replied and looked at her phone and sent off a quick text to Ray. She could have sworn he'd said he would meet her at the hospital.

Bradley got more and more worried as he didn't hear from Ffion. What in the world was going on? Why wasn't she answering her texts?

JT got to the hospital and got directions to where Rowan was. He went there and entered the ward. He stood a moment and watched Ray holding Rowan's hand. He wondered idly if perhaps Ray hadn't fallen for Rowan a bit.

He walked over.

"How is she?" he asked, keeping his tone casual. "I would have been her sooner, but had to go and talk to Roxy. I can sit with her now if you need to go."

/\\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\

Ray looked down and reached into his pocket as his phone sounded. He sent one back to Ronnie saying he would be there in a minute then let go of Rowan's hand. He looked up at JT and nodded. "She's doing okay I think. She's just tired," he shrugged as he stood up and stretched. "I've got to go, Ronnie's having her scan about now," he explained and patted JT's shoulder as he passed. "Don't leave her alone," he nodded at Rowan and left the little room.

JT frowned at Ray's comment. Rowan was Kin; he would stay as long as he needed to. He settled back in the chair, fixed his gaze on her and watched and waited….

/\\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\\\/\/\\/\/\

_Rowan had chattered on nervously the whole ride about owning the café. She was still shocked she'd bought it. _

_Alex paid the driver slowly and then climbed out. She watched him drive off and sighed. They were really doing this then. She glanced at Rowan as shrugged then climbed the steps to the station._

_She looked back at Alex and gave her a reassuring smile and followed her up. Rowan shivered as she entered the place. There was something bad here and she didn't think it was the man Alex had come to see, it felt very different. She swallowed hard and pulled the gloss out of her purse and put some on to distract her from it and then her fingers strayed to her mother's bracelet. She wished she'd had time for a quick cigarette before they'd gone inside. _

_Viv seemed shocked to see Alex, but courteous as always he nodded at her._

_"Ma'am, the Guv isn't in the best of moods, I don't think it's wise to..."_

_His voice trailed off as she nodded at him and ignored his warning. She glanced through the windows to CID as she passed. The team were all inside 'working'. He was in his office. Alex could make out the whiskey bottle on his desk._

_Rowan smiled at the man at the desk and stayed close behind Alex. As they went into the large room, Rowan felt things change. That odd feeling didn't reach in here. She sighed and looked around, uncertain what to do._

_Shaz looked up at Alex as she wandered inside. She stood and ran to her, flinging her arms around her DI. Alex was back, everything would be okay. She would sort the Guv out and his mood swings would vanish. Wouldn't they? She released Alex._

_"Hello Ma'am."_

_Rowan couldn't help but smile at the small, dark-haired woman. She remembered Chris talking about her. Shaz, that was what they called her. _

_Ray looked up too as Alex entered the room. Great, DI Drake was back. Mind you, she might help with the Guv's mood swings; they were really getting the team down. He was unpredictable and had shouted at himself and Shaz for no reason at all earlier._

_His eyes moved to the woman next to Alex._

_Ray looked her up and down and his eyes brightened. The woman didn't half have some curve on her. He grinned and some vivid images crept into his skull. He closed his eyes for a moment then opened them._

_He stood and moved towards the group of ladies._

_He nodded at Alex._

_"DI Drake," he said respectfully._

_Ray turned to Rowan and looked her up and down as he stood near her. Pretty, too, he noticed as he grinned at her. "Don't believe I've seen you before. I'd remember," he commented. His eyes moved from her face to her breasts. The top may not be low cut, but it left very little to the imagination, he noticed._

_Ray thanked himself that he didn't wear those ridiculous tight trousers that Chris did._

_Rowan tucked her hair behind her ear, wishing she'd thought to put it back in the clip instead of wearing it down and turned as a man walked over. That had to be Ray. Chris' best friend, she remembered him saying. Good grief! She blinked and swallowed as he looked her over. She watched the direction of his gaze and wished again for a jacket. She fought the urge to fold her arms across her chest, she knew that would just make it worse and cleared her throat._

"_I, um, I'm Alex's friend, from Walford," she explained. She began to graze her thumbnail over the chain of her bracelet. This man completely unnerved her. He was so different from Chris! She unconsciously took a step back and looked at Alex. _

_Ray chuckled at her and nodded. "Ray," he shot back with a smirk and looked at Alex and Shaz. _

"_Rowan," she said. _

_His attention went behind to the office and he wondered again if Alex's sudden presence would make things better or worse. He noticed Rowan had moved a little away from him and smiled. Shy. He knew of something that would solve that problem for her. He saw Alex start to move and grunted as he returned to his desk._

_Rowan let out the breath she'd been holding as he walked away back to his desk. At least he hadn't gone on about her being American. It was nice after the constant comments she endured back in __Walford. _

_Alex directed her attention to the office in front of her. She could see his form inside. The small room was dark and his frame seemed no more than a shadow. She took a deep breath and squeezed Shaz's hand gently. She nodded at Rowan and made her way over to the office counting her steps as she did._

_Rowan gave Alex a smile and crossed her fingers and showed Alex. She watched Alex disappear through the door and gave a small sigh. What to do now but wait? She thought about going outside to smoke, but the memory of that feeling in the hall made her change her mind. She'd wait till they left._

_Shaz returned the gentle pressure that Alex exerted onto her palm. She released Alex's hand and watched her move towards The Manc Lion's Lair._

_Alex was filled with apprehension as she watched her senior officer._

_Shaz went to stand next to Ray's desk for support._

_Ray also kept his eyes on Alex as she headed towards the Guv. She was either stupidly brave or just stupid. He watched._

_Rowan looked around the station curiously. All the things she'd done, she'd never been inside a police station before. She wandered slowly across the room and looked at the desk she knew without seeing the nameplate had to have belonged to Alex. She moved back across the room and looked at the empty desk near Ray's. That had to be Chris'. She pulled out the chair and sat down, her fingers straying to her bracelet once again. _

_Alex glanced behind her at the apprehensive faces that watched her. She smiled what she hoped was a reassuring smile before facing the door. Should she knock? She never knocked before. Why break a habit of a life time!_

_Alex took a final deep breath, ignored the jellyfish that were prowling her stomach, and opened the door…._

_/\\\/\/\/\/\\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\_

_Ray grunted as Alex disappeared into the office and everything went quiet. His gaze strayed to Rowan and he watched her potter around the office curiously. He drew in a breath as she turned her back to him and he caught sight of her arse. He very nearly growled, but caught himself just in time. She was obviously shy and he didn't really want to scare her off. He would invite her for a drink, get her pissed and have his wicked way with her. He smiled inwardly at his simple plan and ignored the questioning look that Shaz threw at him._

_She should speak, Rowan knew she should. The silence was unnerving, almost as unnerving as the feeling out in the hall. Her attention strayed to Shaz. _

"_So, um," she began, "I met Chris when I met Alex. He talked a lot about you," she told Shaz, making a lame attempt at conversation. She thought it best to leave it at having just met him, and maybe mentioning they had lunch together. She would however, leave out what "lunch" had actually entailed._

_Ray looked up. She knew Chris? He mentally kicked himself. Chris had been sent to find Alex. Of course she knew Chris!_

_Shaz smiled at Rowan. "Chris is sweet," she replied. "I miss him. I mean..." she looked over at Ray and glanced at Gene's office. She moved from Ray's desk to sit on Chris' so she was closer to Rowan. _

_Rowan smiled at Shaz. "Yes, he's very nice. He took me out to lunch today. Nothing fancy, just sandwiches in the park over by the station, but it was nice. I think he misses you, too."_

_"With just the Guv and Ray it's like I'm just a dogsbody or something. I know I'm only a PC, but I get the awful jobs. At least when Chris was here I had someone to talk to and Alex was great because having another woman higher up meant she pleaded my case with the Guv. He actually listens to her," she whispered._

_Ray scowled. "I can hear you, Granger," he rumbled at her. Shaz raised an eyebrow at him. "You know it's true, Ray."_

_Ray snorted. "Just because I don't fall at your feet like Chris did."_

_Shaz glared. "I am not that shallow Ray!" she huffed. "You give me the horrible jobs that you used to do."_

_Ray nodded. "I delegate, Shaz. Alex used to delegate them to me. I would give them to Chris. He wouldn't give them to you, because if he did you'd go all moody and upset with him. He's not here and I don't really care if you go moody," he retorted._

_Shaz folded her arms and looked at Rowan. "See what I have to put up with!"_

"_Anyway, I don't imagine very many people ignore Alex," Rowan gave a small chuckle. "Well, from what I've heard, it's not any better where Chris is now. I've heard nothing but bad things about Marsden, the woman he says is in charge over in Walford," she shrugged. "And not just from him, from a lot people there. You hear a lot when you run a café," she explained. _

"_So, you and Chris were um…" Rowan trailed off and raised her eyebrows at Shaz and gave her an encouraging smile. She liked Chris a lot, but Shaz had prior claim and Rowan would stand aside. She shouldn't get involved anyway. "Do you want to be again?"_

_She had Chris' number. She could give it to Shaz if she wanted it. She had a feeling the number he had now was new. _

_Shaz sighed. "Engaged," she shrugged. "I don't know. So much has happened between us, it's hard to just move on from that. We've got over 3 years worth of history and it's difficult to just erase that," she twisted a lock of hair around her finger and ran her hand over his old name plate; neither Alex or Chris' desks had been touched, moved or changed since they had left. "I think I do still love him, but I don't know whether it's him or our past that I love," she confessed._

_Rowan patted Shaz' hand. "I have his number if you want it," she offered. _

_Ray rolled his eyes at that. Soppy, girly rubbish. He stood up. "You want a cuppa?" he asked them. He wasn't hanging around here to listen to them talk about feelings and rubbish like that._

_Shaz looked up at him and shook her head. "No, ta."_

_Ray directed his gaze to Rowan and his eyes bored into hers._

_Rowan glanced up at Ray's question and forced herself not to shiver under his gaze. She shook her head. _

"_No, thank you," she made herself say. She looked back at Shaz. "I'm dying for a cigarette," she confessed. "But I don't want Alex to think I deserted her. I couldn't let her come here alone."_

_She leaned a bit closer to Shaz. "I talked her into coming back here and seeing him, the least I could do is come with her."_

_Ray shrugged at them and grumbled something to himself about him having to make his own tea instead of Shaz doing it. That was her job after all. He leant against the sink and tossed thoughts of Rowan around in his head. He hadn't expected her to be American, but for some reason he found the fact that she was even more enticing. He would put his plan into action when the Guv and Drake had sorted themselves out._

_Shaz smiled. "You haven't met the Guv yet then I take it. They're made for each other. Trust me. I've been waiting 3 years for them to sort themselves out and admit their feelings, then the one time they get close she runs off and he goes on an emotional lockdown or something. He's been hell to be around since she left."_

_Rowan shook her head._

_"I read the letter he wrote, though. I could tell they belonged together," Rowan agreed. "That's why I encouraged her to come here. I knew she had to talk to him."_

_Her gaze drifted to the door of his office and she noted the joined silhouettes of two people. She grinned. "About time!" she muttered._

_Ray came out with his mug. "About time for what?"_

_Shaz pointed. "I told you Ray. They love each other. You owe me a fiver."_

_Ray shook his head. "One kiss that we can hardly see doesn't count as love. Besides, I still think that he just wants to get into her knickers. The bet still stands," he retorted._

_Shaz rolled her eyes at him. Her head snapped up as the door to the office clicked._

_Rowan followed Shaz' gaze and smiled, too. "Oh, it's love, believe me," Rowan assured Shaz. She rummaged in her bag and got out her phone. She scrolled through and got to Chris' number and wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed it to Shaz. Rowan wasn't going to let Shaz side-stepping the question about Chris' number stop her from giving it to the woman._

_They had been engaged after all. She glanced in Ray's direction and looked quickly away. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt like she was being hunted. She clutched her mother's bracelet again and stood as she noticed the door opening._

_She'd have to go home now. Alex would want alone time with Gene she was sure. Rowan tapped her phone and stuck it back in her bag. She'd call Alyssa; they could go to the pub and celebrate the cafe. She nodded to herself. Yes, she could definitely do with a celebratory drink or two._

_"Right! Everyone! Bolly is here, we all say hello and now we are all going to get pissed. Pub!" he announced and strode for the door, his hand snaking out and grabbing Alex by the hand and pulling her along with him. He shoved open the doors and led her out._

_Alex beamed at Rowan and mouthed the words 'thank you' as Gene led her out of CID. She passed through the doors and shot a nervous glance at the store cupboard where Jim Keats had taken up residency._

_Alex smiled at Viv as they passed his desk, Gene still steering her as they walked._

_Ray grinned. Pub. Luigi's. Wherever they ended up, as long as they served booze, his plan would work. He grabbed his jacket and left his half drunk mug of tea. He winked at Rowan as he followed his DCI._

_Shaz smiled at Rowan "You coming?" she asked as she held the door open._

_Rowan nodded and followed Shaz outside. That presence was still in the hallway and Rowan had to fight not to run out of the place screaming. She heaved a great breath as she got outside and fished out her cigarettes and hurriedly lit one. She took a long drag and closed her eyes as she let it out. She needed that._

_She walked over to Alex, nodding briefly at Gene as he let go Alex's hand and walked over to his car, lighting up a smoke as he went._

_"Well, I should call a cab and head back to Walford since all seems well in hand here," she gave Alex a smile before glancing over at Gene and then back at Alex. "He's quite a man isn't he? We've both got reason to celebrate now, huh?" Rowan chuckled and gave Alex's hand a squeeze. "I've bought the cafe and you've been reunited with your soul mate."_

_Alex smiled and squeezed Rowan's hand back. "Thank you, Rowan, thank you so much," she smiled and glanced over her shoulder at Gene. "Do you fancy coming along, Luigi's food is nothing on yours, but it's edible at least," she grinned._

_Gene leaned on the car as he smoked and watched Alex talk to her friend. He gestured Ray to get in the car and then took a final drag before dropping his smoke and grinding it out beneath his heel._

_"Will you two stop yapping and get in the bloody car!" he bellowed._

_Rowan looked at Alex and walked over to the car with her. She looked at Gene._

_"Um, I was just going to..." she began and stopped at the look on his face._

_"In. The. Car," he said, stressing each word clearly and pointing at the roof of the car as he did so. Rowan snapped her mouth shut and climbed in the back. It appeared she was going along._

_Alex rolled her eyes at Rowan and went back to the car with a smile. She slid into the front and ignored her seat-belt as usual; she really wasn't in the mood to be told off for acting like a vicar. _

_Ray nodded at Gene and slipped into the car on his usual side, now Alex was back it looked like he had to move back to the back seat again. He didn't like it, but if it improved the Guv's mood then he would deal with it. He couldn't disguise his glee when Rowan ended up next to him and he knew how uncomfortable it was in the middle seat, he stared out of the windscreen, apparently indifferent to the blond woman next to him._

_Rowan glanced at Ray from the corner of her eye and looked out again. She saw Shaz walking up and realized she was going to have to move. She hesitantly slid over next to Ray so Shaz could get in and folded her hands in her lap, lacing her fingers together, tightly._

_She glanced down and realized her knuckles were white and loosened her hands a bit, but kept her fingers laced to keep herself from grabbing her mother's bracelet. She forced herself to keep her breathing shallow and glanced at Ray out of the corner of her eye again and quickly away. She suddenly realized how the mouse caught in a trap must feel when it saw the cat approaching._

_Gene glanced around to make sure everyone was in the car._

_"Right, here we go," he announced and started the car and slammed on the gas._

_Rowan's hands clenched tighter as the car leapt away from the curb and down the street._

_Her hands flew apart and grabbed the closest objects in fear as the car whipped round a corner, Ray's leg and Shaz' arm. She quickly let go and muttered an apology, barely drawing another breath before the car slid around another corner, causing her to fall against Ray._

_Ray's breath caught as Rowan grabbed his leg, she let go as she soon as she had held on but still, she had made the first move, right? He grinned to himself and slid an arm around her waist as she fell into him. She was soft he noticed with a smirk. Ray pulled her along the car seat towards him and held her tightly against his side as the car continued to hurl around corners, Shaz had the common sense to hold onto the side of the car as did Alex in the front, poor Rowan, though. He grinned; she would have to make do with him._

_Rowan fought back a gasp as Ray's arm slid around her waist. She'd meant to sit up again after falling against him, but now he was holding her tight. Bright Lady, he was strong! She folded her arms against herself in case his hand decided to travel and looked down and tried to ignore the way his hand burned her through the thin material of her top. _

_She let herself relax against him slightly and was suddenly torn between wanting them to get to this Luigi's place and wanting to stay here, with this arm around her. _

_She kept her face down and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get herself under control. _

_Ray sat comfortably and stopped Rowan from flying around the Quattro as Gene's driving threw them around. He had long ago gained the knack of balancing his weight against the tip of the car, he held Rowan against him as he leaned. He didn't want her to hurt herself did he?_

_He smiled as he felt her relax against him. Maybe that much alcohol wouldn't be called for. He saw Luigi's approaching and held on a little longer. The car hadn't stopped yet._

_/\\/\/\\\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\_

_Gene slammed on the brakes as they reached Luigi's and climbed from the car. He grinned as he walked around and opened Alex's door, leaving his door open so Ray could get out, if he was getting out. He seemed to be holding onto Alex's mate rather tight. Though, she didn't seem to be complaining. _

_He would keep an eye out, though. If she had come with Alex, then she was likely the one who had convinced Alex to come in the first place. He owed her. He slung an arm around Alex's waist as she got out of the car and escorted her inside._

_/\\/\/\\\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\_

_Rowan waited for Ray to let her go and get out of the car. She wasn't sure how much longer she could block him. She needed him to let her go. _

_Ray watched Alex and Gene get out and felt the air hit him as the door opened. It wasn't a particularly cold day; it was actually quite warm outside. He realised how hot it must be inside the car. He watched Shaz get out and reluctantly let Rowan go. He got out of the car and left the door and seat open so that she could get out, too._

_Ray leant against the metal barring outside the small _trattoria_ and watched Rowan get out, a smirk crossing his face as he glued his eyes on her, appreciating every inch._

_Rowan slipped from the car after taking a moment to collect herself. She knew he was watching her and tried to ignore it as she walked over to the steps. _

_She tapped Shaz on the shoulder. "I'll be right there," she said and fished out her cigarettes. She took a few steps away from the stairs so she wouldn't be smoking too close and gratefully lit up. She took one long drag and let it out slowly before shoving it in the ash tray. She glanced at Ray again and then hurried down the steps and inside. _

_Ray watched Rowan curiously, she smoked? He grinned, he didn't know many birds that smoked, it was a definite point in her favour. He watched her leave and go down the steps and waited a moment before following her into the restaurant. Luigi was there standing at the bar looking moony over Alex and Gene, muttering about him being right. Ray rolled his eyes, he still said that Gene was just trying to get into her knickers; he was not losing that fiver to Shaz of all people. He ordered himself a pint and was not sure about joining the little group at the table, he didn't want to be around Gene and Alex if they were going to go all lovey-dovey, not that they were in love! He corrected himself, more that Gene would act that way to get on Alex's good side, tactics! He snorted, he didn't believe the crap his mind was spouting, he was just loath to give money to Shaz, to lose a bet to her. Add to her smugness. Brilliant! All he needed! ….._

_/\\/\/\\\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\_

Ray followed the signs to where he was supposed to meet Ronnie and waved at her as he approached. He kissed her cheek and slipped an arm around her. "Sorry. I've been upstairs. Rowan got shot this morning," he told her quietly. "Don't worry, she's fine. Just a bit sleepy," he assured her and squeezed her waist gently.

"Shot? What?" Ronnie nearly shrieked.

"Now, before we go in, do we want to know the sex of the baby?" he smiled at her.

She looked at Ray in shock and barely registered when he asked her if she wanted to know the baby's sex. She blinked and then nodded.

"Yes, it will be easier getting things ready if we know ahead of time," she told him. "So, if they can tell us I want to know. Sometimes the baby isn't in the right position and they can't see, so," she shrugged.

She led him into the room and then looked at him again. "Shot?" she barely breathed and shook her head again.

When it was over, she took the printout the tech handed her and tried not to be too annoyed that the baby didn't cooperate.

"Guess we wait," she said and tried not to sound too glum about it. She would just have to do the nursery neutral.

"So, where is Rowan? Can we see her?"

/\\/\\/\/\\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa thanked Charlie as she paid and climbed out of the cab. She had debated going to see Jack at school and telling him what was going on but had decided against it. She didn't think he would appreciate her losing control in front of his colleagues and students. So, she looked up at her home and marched up the steps. She threw the door open, she was angry and upset at the same time. It was bad enough him cheating on her mum, but now there was proof. A baby! That could be his or Chris'. She fought against her emotions as they battled. Anger won. She slammed the door and stalked into the kitchen and stood in the doorway. Ffion was here. She scowled at the pair of them.

Gerald flinched as he heard the door slam and looked up at Alyssa in the doorway. He smiled weakly at her. It only served to fuel her temper. "What. The. Hell!" she said, her voice sharp and slow.

"You know then?" he asked rhetorically. She snorted "You think!"

He stood up and moved towards her. "Alyssa, calm down sweetheart". She shook her head at him and clenched her fists. Her internal battle was raging once again. "Calm down?" she asked "Calm down? You got her pregnant, Dad!" she said on the verge of tears. "She's younger than Ben and you've gone and got her pregnant!"

Gerald shook his head "It might not be mine, it could be..."

She cut him off. "Chris'! I know. I've just seen Rowan! And you had better hope it is yours! Because it may just kill her if it is Chris' baby," she said, her voice was trembling and he reached out to hug her but she stepped away. "Don't touch me!" she spat at him and blanked Ffion as she stormed upstairs.

Gerald turned with a sigh and looked at Ffion. "That went better than I had anticipated," he shrugged.

She winced back as Alyssa tore through the house and shouted at her dad. She listened to them argue and gnawed her lip. This shouldn't have happened. It was all a nightmare, and she could end it.

Ffion gazed at Gerald after Alyssa had gone upstairs. She grabbed the swab and shoved it in the packet and bolted from the house and ran all the way to the hospital. She handed the swabs over to the tech and left the room. She went to the nearest nurse station and gave the woman behind the desk a small smile.

"Can you tell me where I would go to see about an abortion?"

The nurse nodded and gave her directions.

Ffion sat and spoke with the doctor. She didn't go into detail, but she made sure the woman understood that the baby was a very bad idea. If she was honest, Ffion wasn't sure she could handle being a mother.  
She made her choice.

Ffion sat and looked at the pill in front of her before finally picking it up and swallowing it, followed by draining the glass of water next to it. She looked at the doctor.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Miss Griffyths," the woman said to her and patted her hand. Ffion nodded and got up and left. She pulled out her phone as she walked and called Bradley.

/\\/\\/\/\\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Chris finished his beer and went to the fridge to get another. They were out. He sighed and looked at his phone. He'd made such a mess of things. He hadn't meant to shag Ffion. He was trying to be helpful when the PCs brought her in. They all knew she was Rhys' sister and didn't want to lock her in the cells so they brought her to Chris, who agreed to let her sleep it off in an interview room. Before he'd known it, she'd been all over him. Rowan had gone cold on him and he was sure she didn't even want him back so he went along with it. Now this. He'd done with Ffion what Rowan wanted him to do and now Ffion might be pregnant with his baby.

He thought about calling Alyssa but was sure she wouldn't talk to him. He wasn't sure anybody would. But Rowan had to talk to him. She had to understand. He would not go, even if Ffion's baby was his. He didn't care about the baby, he only cared about Rowan.

He pulled on his jacket and headed for the hospital at a brisk walk. He needed to clear his head of the two beers he'd drank.

/\\/\\/\/\\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Gerald frowned as Ffion ran off. He had hoped to talk to her before she left. Maybe she was uncomfortable with Alyssa upstairs or she was really anxious to find out who the father was. He sighed as he heard the door slam and listened to the light footsteps from upstairs. He could be having another child, another baby. A third child. A new sibling for Alyssa and Benjamin. If he took Caroline out of the equation it did seem a happier situation, Alyssa seemed more worried about Rowan, her anger hadn't reached the limits he had anticipated.

/\\/\\/\/\\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa toyed with her phone. Her breathing was as controlled as she could make it and her finger hovered over the little green button. She was scared. Her Dad might be having another child, with someone other than her mum. As much as she didn't like her Mum, and as much as her Mum didn't like her, they were still related. Caroline was still her Mum and Alyssa was still her daughter. Nothing was ever going to change that. She pressed the small button and cautiously pressed her phone to her ear. It rang.

"Redcliffe Household. Benjamin speaking."

Alyssa didn't speak. Couldn't speak. She had been preparing herself for her mother not him. Her brother. She pulled herself together and cleared her throat. "Heya, Ben," she said, sounding braver than she felt.

"Alyssa?" came the startled reply.

"It's me, Ben," she replied, half smiling. She sat back against the backboard of the bed "How...ummm, How are you? Heard you got married. Congrats."

She listened to the pause and waited patiently. "Thank you," he sighed back. "What d'you want?"

"To talk to mum."

"She won't speak to you Alyssa. You know she won't. She's angry that Dad chose you."

"I know Ben. That's what I need to talk to her about. Dad," she admitted.

"Why? What's happened? Is he okay?" he sounded alarmed.

"He's fine. Its more what he's done."

"What?"

"I need to talk to Mum," she repeated.

"Tell me."

"Stop being so childish Benjamin and give the phone over to Mum," she replied in exasperation.

"No. Not until you tell me."

"Bye, Benny-Boy," she sighed and put down the phone. Alyssa threw it under the pillow as it rang again. He had dialled 1471. She rolled her eyes and waited patiently for him to give up.

/\\/\\/\/\\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Ray nodded and took her hand. "Calm down though, Ron. It's not good for you, the baby or Rowan if you get yourself worked up, okay," he told her before leading her down corridors to Rowan's room. JT was still inside and Rowan looked to be still asleep.

He positioned Ronnie in front of the window and stood behind her as he rested his chin on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her middle. "She's still asleep," he mumbled.

Ronnie glanced at Ray and looked back in at Rowan. She looked so pale! She knew Ray said Rowan was okay though.

"Should we go in or come back later?" she turned her head and asked. She noticed Chris coming down the hallway towards them and lifted her hand. Why did he look so...depressed, bereft? Rowan was alive, surely that was reason to look cheerful.

"Hi, Chris," she greeted him softly.

Chris raised his hand but didn't speak. He put a shaking hand on the door and took a deep breath.

Ronnie looked at him in confusion, but backed Ray away from the door so Chris could go in. Chris nodded his thanks and finally turned the knob and went inside. JT looked up at Chris as he walked in.

"I have to see her," Chris said. JT simply nodded. "Call me if you have to leave," he told Chris and squeezed his shoulder before leaving the room.

After JT left, Ronnie turned to Ray.

"Why does Chris look so sad? What happened Ray?"

Ray shook his head and pulled her away from the glass.

"Ronnie, we all got held hostage this morning in the restaurant. Rowan, Rhys, Ginger, Ffion and me. The guy pointed the gun at Fee. She's pregnant, Ron," he shook his head "It's either Chris' or Gerald's. Rowan just, went for her. The guy went to shoot Ffion and Ro pushed her out of the way. She took the bullet," he sighed and sat down in a chair opposite the window. "She won't cope if it's Chris,' she started talking about leaving. Severing the knot," he said his voice emotionless. "She's pissed off and upset."

Ronnie's jaw dropped. She had no idea what to say to that!

"I can relate to that. Remember, Jack got Roxy pregnant."

She looked back in. "Though I don't think Jack felt as bad as Chris seems to," she mused.

"Should we stay or go?"

Ray snorted. "That's because Jack Branning has no morals to speak of, whereas Chris actually has a moral code," he replied tartly. He couldn't bring himself to like Jack Branning, no matter how hard he tried, not that he did try, he had no inclination to want to like the guy. He had hurt Ronnie, was a bent copper, and tried to kiss Ronnie once she was with him. Though he had let her run the club and was contemplating selling it to her. For that he was grateful.

"I promised her that I would stay, if you want to go then I'll see you later. I've got plans for you remember?" he smiled. "Just make sure that you're home for 6," he grinned.

"Well, dislike him all you want, after tomorrow we won't likely see him ever again. He accepted my offer on the club. I actually offered him less than what the bank was giving me," she gave him a shamefaced grin. "He's going to be here tomorrow afternoon to sign the papers and it will be done. The club will be mine."

Ray grinned at her and pulled her face to his for a kiss. "Well done," he grinned. "And if he tries to kiss you again make sure he's signed everything before you slap him," he teased and kissed her again before letting her go.

"I'd like you to be there. We're meeting at the club at 4. Surely you can get done a little early?" she said.

Ray nodded at her. "I'll get down there for 4 then," he agreed.

She glanced at her watch. "Well, I better get home and find something amazing to wear and get ready. 6 o'clock only gives me four hours, that's barely enough time," she teased and gave him a quick kiss before she left.

Ray watched her leave with a smile. He really was a lucky bloke. A lucky bloke with a huge dilemma. He looked back over at Rowan and Chris with a sigh. It wasn't his problem, yet somehow he felt a little responsible. He shook his head and rubbed his hands over his face as he waited for Chris to leave.

Whitney hurried out to the parking lot and went to where Brett said his car would be. She couldn't see him, she'd got here first. She stood in front of his car and waited nervously for him to arrive.

/\\/\\/\/\\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\

Brett rushed out of his lesson, the stupid lecturer had droned on and on and on and on. The guy just hadn't shut up. After about an hour into the lecture Brett had switched off and his mind had been filled with thoughts of Whitney. He knew he most likely had had a vacant expression plastered all over his face, but he couldn't care less, he had a date with the girl he fancied tonight, life didn't get much better. He spotted Whitney next to his car and smiled happily, she still wanted to then.

"Heya," he called out as he drew near and opened up his car. He dumped his bag in the boot and held it open for her things too.

"Come on," he smiled as he opened her door then went around to his side of the car and got inside, he buckled himself down and reversed out of his parking space, "You do like fish and chips right?"

Whitney smiled hugely as she saw Brett walk up and put her things in the boot. She got in the car and took a deep breath before he got in. She looked over at him.

"Yeah, I do," she replied. "So we're going to a chippy for dinner?" she teased and giggled.

Brett smiled at her as he pulled onto the main road. "Yes and No," he replied with a grin. "But I can't tell you. It'll ruin it," he smiled and focused more on the road as the lights changed.

Whitney gave him a look and then gazed back out the window and watched the city go by. Maybe a picnic or something? She shrugged to herself.

Brett pulled up outside the closest chip shop to his flat and parked. He climbed out of his car and gestured for Whitney to follow him inside. He stood at the back of the small queue and smiled at her as he chose what he wanted then looked at her. "What are you having?"

"Fish and chips," she replied tartly and smiled before looking down at the floor. She wanted to say "a kiss from you," but kept her mouth shut.

Brett smiled at her and nodded. He was curious as to why she looked down at the floor but didn't comment on it. He smiled at the woman as they reached the front of the queue.

"One fish and chips and a chicken meat with chips and Barbecue sauce please," he requested with a charming smile and watched the woman wander off to sort his order. He paid and handed Whitney her paper wrappings full of chips and took his too. He lead her back to the car and held her food as she got in then handed her his and climbed in the other side.

Whitney took her food and thanked him.

Brett drove quickly back to his flat and frowned. He had candles to light. He pulled up outside and looked at her. "Wait here. I'll be back in a second," he told her and took her food and his from her. Brett ran inside and pushed the door shut behind him, he arranged their food on the plates on the table then grabbed a box of matches and lot the small tea-lights he had dotted around the room. Satisfied he opened the front door again and went to get her from the car. "You can come in now," he smiled at her.

She looked around as he drove and her eyes widened slightly as he pulled up in front of a building. His flat? She swallowed hard and waited next to the car as he dashed inside. She fidgeted as she waited outside.

She glanced up as he came back out and followed him inside. She looked around curiously. Nice flat. He'd lit candles everywhere which she found very romantic. Handy too. She couldn't tell really if how clean his flat was. It was tidy though.

"Nice flat," she commented and sat down.

Brett smiled at her. "Thanks," he beamed as he sat down opposite her and grabbed his cutlery and dug into his sauce covered chips. The candle light complemented her beautifully he noticed as he watched her casually as he ate.

"That's a pretty good chippy," Whitney remarked as she ate. She hated to say it, since Peter was a mate.

Brett shrugged. "I've certainly eaten at worse, there's this one in Manchester right, where I used to live, and basically, you have not eaten soggy chips until you eat there, the batter is soggy as well, on the fish! And don't get me started on the state of the curry sauce," he made a face at her.

"So, what else have you got planned?" she asked and hurriedly added, "cinema, going to a club?" when she realized how the question sounded.

He smiled. "I was going to ask you the same thing," he admitted. "What would you like to do?"

Whitney grimaced in sympathy and chuckled.

"I thought you had everything planned," she teased. "I'm not bothered what we do really."

Brett grinned at her bashfully. "My plan was the trip to the chippy and this," he gestured at the candles. "I was hoping you'd have some suggestions," he confessed.

"Oh," Whitney said. She looked at her food, her mind blank.

"Well, we have school tomorrow so I don't want to get hungover," she began. She sighed and looked around. "Do you have any good DVDs?"

Brett nodded. "Depends, I've got most of my DVD collection here, I'm sure we can find something," he told her.

"Okay, I guess we could do that then," she shrugged and went back to her food. All the time they'd spent hanging out together over the past weeks, on their own or with her friends, and _now _she was so nervous she couldn't think straight. She sighed. What was she going to do?

Brett nodded agreeably and continued eating, what was up with her? She didn't normally act like this, maybe she was upset or something. He didn't know, Brett gave her a concerned looked. "Are you alright, Whit? You're acting a little odd," he commented as he finished up his food and took the polystyrene tray to the bin and dumped it in there.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm just so….nervous! I know I shouldn't be, but for some reason I am. I guess because this is like a real date and I just…" she sighed and threw up her hands. She picked up her own empty container and threw it away before giving him a small smile. "Thank you for dinner, I guess we should look at the DVDs now?"

Brett's lips curved. Nervous? Why was she nervous? He took her hand and pulled her over to the DVD collection. "Whitney, you shouldn't be nervous," he murmured to her. "I really like you," he added as he cupped her cheek and kissed her softly. "What can I do to stop your nerves?" he asked as he let her go.

"Well," she began and cleared her throat to try again. "That helped a lot," she replied and flung her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. She pulled back, ran a hand through her hair and quickly turned to look at his DVDs.

"This?" she asked, holding up some random comedy without really looking at the title.

Brett took the DVD off her without looking at it. He hadn't expected that at all, he blinked as he tried to recover himself and set up the DVD player. He smiled at her as he took her hand and pulled her onto the sofa with him and started up the film.

Whitney leaned against Brett comfortably and stared at the movie without watching it. She was distracted by Brett's arm around her.

Brett sat comfortably, he knew how soft Whitney felt in his arms already. He had hugged her several times before, but this, this felt nice. He rested his cheek on top of her head. She seemed to like him as much as he liked her, especially if that kiss had been anything to go on. He smiled at the thought and squeezed her gently as he settled down.

Whitney snuggled closer to Brett, a smile hovering around her lips. He liked her and he'd kissed her. It had been quite a good kiss she had to admit. She sat for a few minutes and then began to wonder if he might kiss her some more.

But that could wait; she liked being cuddled close with her head on his chest and his arms around her. She liked it a lot.

Whitney looked up at Brett as the movie finished and gave a soft sigh.

"I guess you should drive me home now, since we have school tomorrow," she suggested, her tone full of regret. She didn't really want to leave yet.

Brett stretched his arms out and looked at her. His eyebrows raised at her question and he nodded. "I suppose I should, yes," he agreed then glanced briefly at the TV and back at her. He smiled at her. "But not before I do this," he told her and cupped her face gently as he leaned in and kissed her. One arm slipped down her arm and settled on her waist as he held her to him

Whitney leaned into the kiss and began to wonder how much she really wanted to leave. She had to go. She couldn't go to school tomorrow in what she wore today and home was in the opposite direction from the school, so they couldn't easily stop by her home so she could change.

She broke off the kiss reluctantly and gazed at him.

"We should get going," she whispered. She took a deep breath and stood up, gathering her courage around her. "Do you want to stay at mine…in my room…with me?" she asked. It was easier for him; he could grab some clothes for tomorrow since they were here.

Brett looked at her and considered her offer. He rose from the settee and stretched himself out, he felt a little stiff after curling up with her. He switched the TV off and gave her a look

"I'll pack a bag" he smiled and walked calmly past her to his room. It didn't take him long to collect what he needed and he was back with her within moments "You sure?" he wanted to double check.

Whitney nodded. "If you're sure," she replied and gave him a small smile.

Brett chuckled at her and nodded. He shut off his electrics and then slipped his hand into hers. "Come on, then," he grinned at her and lead her out of his flat and back to his car. He made sure they were both strapped in and then drove carefully to Walford and her home.

Whitney led him into the house. No sign of Peter or Fatboy. She gave an inward sigh of relief and took his hand and led him upstairs to her room.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Chris sat and stared at Rowan, hoping she would wake up. He looked at the door and saw Ray still standing out there. He got up and went back out into the hall.

"When do you think she'll wake up?"

Ray shrugged as he stood and moved toward Chris. "She'll wake when she wakes," he said and studied his best mate. "How are you holding up?" he questioned.

"Not good. I need to talk to her. I need to tell her I don't care about the baby. Ffion was drunk and it was a mistake and I don't care about that, I just care about her," he said and gestured at the door. "Please, I'm gonna go have a smoke and get a tea, do you want one? And if she wakes up, please get her to talk to me. She'll listen to you, mate."

He sighed and headed down the hall.

Ray shook his head at the offer of tea and went back into the room. He took the seat again and leant back. His gaze fixed on Rowan's sleeping form.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Ffion ran home and slipped into the flat and got the dress and shoes she planned to wear and rushed back out. She went to the café and changed in the bathroom and then sat there and waited until it was time to meet Bradley.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Chris went and got himself a tea and then went outside to smoke. Of course she was sleeping. She'd lost a lot of blood and she was no doubt drained emotionally, too. But he needed to talk to her. He had to explain before he lost her forever. He had to try. He chained another cigarette.

Ffion went to meet Bradley at the car lot. He smiled brightly at her when he saw her.

"I thought you were going to cancel on me when I couldn't get hold of you," he told her.

"Sorry. There was a bit of a crisis earlier today and I've had my phone off. I wasn't ignoring you."

"So, what happened then?" he asked. Her eyes widened slightly. He hadn't heard? She was sure it was all over the Square by now.

"I'll tell you about it later, okay? Let's just enjoy dinner."

He furrowed his brow at her but nodded agreeably. He opened the car door for her so she could get in, then closed it after she had done so and got in the car himself. He took her hand and squeezed it before starting the car and heading for the restaurant.

Janine watched Bradley and Ffion drive away and smirked. Bradley clearly hadn't heard about what had happened, but Janine had. Ffion was pregnant with another man's child and Bradley was dating her.  
She chuckled. Bradley would soon get what was coming to him.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Jack walked into the house and nearly shivered at the tension in the place. What in the world was going on? He hung up his coat and put his briefcase on the table near the door and went looking for Alyssa.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Alyssa lifted her head from the pillow as she heard footsteps up the stairs. Ben had tried calling her three times. Not just on the home phone either, he must have saved her number onto his own phone, she should have withheld it. She recognised Jack's steps as the bedroom door was pushed open. She gave him a pathetic excuse for a smile and scowled as she heard the muffled trill of her ringtone. That brother of hers just didn't give up! She thrust her hand under the pillow, pulled her phone out and took the battery out. She placed the dismantled phone onto the bedside table and sat up properly. She crossed her legs and looked at Jack.

"Ffion's pregnant," she mumbled. "Chris or Dad. We're not sure," she told him. "And Ro got shot," she added.

Jack stood and gaped at her. Whatever he had expected to hear when he walked through the door that was probably lowest on his list. So low, in fact, as to not be on his list at all!

He dropped onto the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms.

He knew he shouldn't be surprised at the news about Ffion, considering her behavior, but that the father might be Gerald or Chris? He couldn't get his head around it.

"Chris?" he blurted. "And Rowan shot? Love, you better start at the beginning. I'm at a loss."

Alyssa rested her head against him. "Okay, from what I know, I got this from Ray in the hospital," she told him as she wrapped her arms around him and held on. "To cut a long story short, a gunman held Ro, Ray, Fee, Rhys and Ginger, JT and Syed hostage in the Restaurant. Fee blurted out that she was pregnant and Rhys blew up, she mentioned Gerald and then Ro worked out somehow that Chris was the other bloke involved, so, Ro goes for Fee and sees the guy go to shoot," she buried her face into his neck and closed her eyes as she let the smell of him sooth her. "She pushed Ffion out of the way and took the bullet," she sobbed. "Now she's in hospital," she explained and pulled her face up to look at him.

"I already had a go at Dad. I don't know when Chris and Ffion... well…I don't know but it seems he's the other possible father," she drew in shaky breath. "Ro, Oh Jack, Rowan, she's... well...she's," she shook her head, unable to explain. "I'm worried about her, not because of the gun wound, but emotionally, I don't know if she can take it if Chris is the Dad, especially with them trying for a baby and her not conceiving and everything," she clung to him as she remembered what Rowan had said. "She wants to leave, I don't know what I'll do if she leaves, Jack."

"Does anyone even know if she's keeping the baby, Ffion I mean?" he asked as he pulled Alyssa to him and stroked her hair. "Seems to me that might solve all the problems."

Alyssa shrugged at him. "I'm assuming she's keeping it, I didn't stay downstairs long enough to ask, but you're right, it would clear everything up," she sighed.

"She wouldn't really leave. She's got too much here. You're here, me, I'm here, how could she possibly leave me? The restaurant, JT, she can't just go," he remarked. "She'll calm down soon enough. Are they going to let you know when she's awake? I assume she's sleeping."

"Ray was with her when I left the hospital and I think JT was going down there once he had been to see Roxy," she told him, her gaze fell on her phone and she sighed, if they were going to get through to her then she had better repair it. "I guess I'll have to put that back together then," she sighed as she regretfully left his embrace and knelt next to her table to piece her phone back together. She fixed it back together and went back to lean against his chest, she frowned. The guy just didn't give up. Another missed call.

He watched her reassemble her phone and furrowed his brow at her.

"What's that about?" he asked, gesturing at her phone.

Alyssa looked up at him and shrugged. "Ben keeps calling me," she said simply and dropped her phone onto the bed. "I'm hoping he will give up soon."

"Ah, I see," he said. "Well, look, let's go get some dinner and then go to the hospital and see Rowan," he suggested. "Do you want me to talk to him when he calls again?"

"_If_ he calls again. And yeah, if you want," she shrugged indifferently. She didn't mind Ben calling, no, she did mind because it was stupidly irritating hearing her phone go off every five seconds! She sighed and smiled at him. "Where are we going for dinner?" she asked curiously as she turned to face him properly.

"Where would you like to go? Rowan was going to make us a picnic hamper but I can't really expect that now, so you name the place and I'll do my best to get us a table," he offered.

Alyssa smiled at him and shrugged, then smiled. "How about that Greek place you took me to on our first date? The one in town?" she suggested.

"Consider it done. Let me get a shower and if your brother calls back, I'll sort him out for you," Jack told her and gave her a quick kiss before heading into the bathroom.

He came out and dressed in a clean suit and held out his arms as he stood in front of her.

"Will this do?"

Alyssa got herself changed out of her work clothes, that she hadn't actually worn to work, and into one of her dresses. She slipped her heels on and was brushing her hair when Jack finished getting dressed. She dropped the brush onto the bed with a smile. Alyssa wandered over to him and walked her fingers up his shirt, tapping each button as she went.

"Definitely," she beamed at him and kissed him softly, then undid his top button and pulled his tie off. "There, now you're good to go."

"Surely you can wait to undress me until after dinner?" he asked in a mocking complaint tone and grinned at her. He headed downstairs and held Alyssa's coat open for her then put on his own.

He led her out of the house and into the car and drove to the restaurant. He had had no intention of talking to Gerald, not when Alyssa was so angry with him. Fortunately the restaurant wasn't busy so they got a table and Jack ordered them some white wine.

Jack held up his glass of wine after the waiter left.

"Happy Valentines Day, Alyssa," he said. He pulled a large envelope out of his pocket and put it on the table. "I know it might not be the greatest, but I think you'll find it useful," he told her and grinned as he watched her open it and pull out the brochure from a bridal gown shop.

Alyssa mimicked him and held up her glass. "Happy Valentines Day."

"I've put a down payment with them," he gestured at the brochure. "I mean, I know you wanted to buy your own dress, but I wanted to help. They do fantastic work though. One of the teachers told me about the place and I wasn't sure you'd heard about it."

She raised her eyebrows at him, but flicked through the brochure regardless. She was grateful that he had thought to help. "I hadn't heard of it, no," she commented as she read the back of the brochure. "Thank you," she smiled gratefully at him. "I'm going to have to drag Ro along with me though," she added gleefully.

She reached down into her bag and pulled out a box and handed it to him. She had eventually decided on buying him a new watch, the screen on his old one was battered and cracked and she often wondered how he could read the time from it.

"Drag away, I'm sure she won't mind," Jack smiled. "I hope you find your perfect dress."

He opened the box she handed him and exclaimed with pleasure. "I've been needing a new one for ages!" he said and grabbed her hand and kissed it. He hurriedly took off the old watch and stuck it in his pocket and put on the new one. "I feel very posh," he remarked as he held it up and looked at it.

Alyssa smiled at him and chuckled. She shook her head at him. Posh! She scoffed in her head at the thought.

"You look it. Amazing what a decent watch can do" she smiled at him preventing her laughter from spilling from her lips.

"Are you taking the piss?" he asked her, narrowing his eyes and leveling a finger at her. "You better not be or you won't get any pudding," he threatened.

Alyssa shook her head innocently. "Me!" she exclaimed in shock. "Never," she grinned.

"All right then," Jack nodded, still suspicious. He waved the waiter over so they could order.

Alyssa hid her smile as she picked up the menu. He didn't believe her, she knew that. Didn't make it any less amusing though. She schooled her features as the waiter came over and told him her order.

Jack eyed Alyssa as he drank his wine and waited for the food. Her sense of humor was sneaky and he wasn't always sure when she was joking or not. He cheered up when the food arrived.

"So, do you want to go to the hospital right after this?"

Alyssa nodded at him. "I'd like to see her before we go home," she told him. "Even if she's asleep, just for peace of mind," she explained as she tucked into her meal and offered him a smile.

Jack nodded. "I agree. I'm a bit worried about her too. She's family," he said and set to his food.

"So, have you made any more plans for the wedding?" he asked her curiously.

Alyssa smiled at him. "You mean apart from Dad walking me down the aisle, Rowan being my maid of honour?" she teased. "Well, yes," she shrugged. "We know the basics for the guest list: the Hunts, Chris and Ro, JT and Roxy, Rhys, Shaz, Ginger and Simon, Ray and Ronnie and then whoever else we can think of that we want to come," she explained.

"Just curious what you had in mind, if anything, apart from Rowan doing the reception," he grinned at her. "Like, where would you like to go on our honeymoon?"

Alyssa raised her eyebrows at him; if she was honest the honeymoon hadn't crossed her mind. She toyed with her food as she thought then smiled up at him. "Isn't the honeymoon usually the groom's area of expertise?" she asked as she took a sip of her wine. "Wherever you want to go," she told him happily. "I really don't mind."

"No preference at all?" he asked. He held back a sigh. He had no idea where to go. He applied himself to his food and tried to think.

Alyssa chewed as she thought. She swallowed and shrugged. "Well, somewhere interesting and sunny," she suggested. "Italy? Australia? Or, maybe somewhere really different like Madagascar or Sweden or somewhere like that?" she shrugged again. "I really don't mind."

"We could go to Italy if you like, or maybe Venice?" he suggested thoughtfully. He took a bite of food and chewed while turning over other possibilities. He swallowed and looked at her. "Something different, hmmm, like maybe Moscow or we could go to Egypt?" he said, trying to think of other places. He drained his wine and shrugged.

Alyssa nodded agreeably. "Maybe Rome or Naples if you want to go to Italy," she smiled at his ideas. "Moscow is going to be cold though isn't it?" she mused. "Egypt though. Maybe," she agreed then shrugged again. "Surprise me. I really don't mind," she repeated with a smile.

"I don't think it would be very cold in Moscow in June, and it would certainly be unusual. You could have Rowan teach you the Russian she knows," he chuckled. "You think about it, too, love," he said and slid his hand across the table to take hers.

Alyssa looked down at their joined hands with a smile. "Now there's an idea. Mind you, Rowan teaching me would involve me having to remember," she sighed with a small chuckle then looked back to his face. "I'll have a think," she promised.

Jack let out another chuckle. "You do remember that she only knows how to swear or ask for another vodka right," he reminded her, his shoulders shaking with the effort of holding back his laughter.

He finished off his food and then drained his wine. "So...dessert or head over to the hospital?"

Alyssa cast an eye over the dessert menu. "Hospital," she replied. "We have ice cream at home if we want it," she said. "And I'm sure we've got some of those mini pies Rowan made, unless Dad snaffled them of course," she smiled.

Jack nodded and got up to pull on his coat and pay the check while Alyssa got her coat on. He led her out to the car and drove her to the hospital and then followed her through the place to where Rowan was.


	17. Chapter 17

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 17**

Ffion thoroughly enjoyed dinner with Bradley and when he invited her to his flat, she said yes. She looped her arm with Bradley's as they walked along. Janine saw them and hurried over.

"Hey, you two, where have you been hiding yourselves?"

"We've not been hiding," Bradley argued.

"How are you, Ffion? All recovered after this morning?"

"I'm fine," Ffion answered shortly and Bradley looked at her.

"And how is the baby?" Janine cooed.

Bradley's jaw dropped and he took an unwitting step back from Ffion.

"What?"

"None of your concern, Janine," she snapped and grabbed Bradley's arm and dragged him away. When they reached the door to his flat, Bradley pulled away from her.

"Are you pregnant, Fee?"

"It's not important," she huffed.

"Well, I rather think it is. I'm not going to get involved with another woman who's pregnant by someone that's not me," he told her.

"I'm not...I'm not..." she began.

"Not what?"

"Not going to be pregnant. So you don't have to worry about that."

"Is that a good idea, I mean..." he trailed off. He didn't like what she was saying.

"There's too many lives to be destroyed by all this. Whoever the father is, I can't be with him, it will never happen."

"Whoever the father is, you mean you don't know?" he practically shouted.

"Can we go inside and talk about this, please. I'll tell you everything just not out here."

He looked at her a moment and then finally nodded and opened the door. He led her inside and went into the kitchen to flip on the kettle.

"So, we're inside, talk," he said brusquely. She sat at his kitchen table and nodded.

"There's only two people it could be, but whichever it is, it's a mess. though one is a lot worse than the other."

"I take it you aren't going to tell me who the fathers might be?"

"No, I won't. It won't matter after tomorrow anyway. I just...I can't do that. With one, I did use protection, but it broke and the other, well, it sort of slipped our minds," she admitted, shamefaced. "But they're both married and one loves his wife and it would completely destroy them if this baby is his. You have no idea how bad it would be and I just can't do that to them, I can't."

"What about the other one?"

"I thought I loved him. But, now, I don't know...I don't think I do. He never takes me anywhere like he's afraid or ashamed to be seen with me in public. He won't even say hello if I walk by. He's not like you at all. I have so much fun with you. Every time I know we're going to spend time together, I can't wait. I wanted tonight to be wonderful. I wanted to do with you what I've never done with anyone. Wait and make it count, make it special. So I did. And when you asked me to have dinner with you tonight, I knew it then, that if you asked me I would say yes."

"Technically, we didn't wait."

"Technically, I didn't really want you at that time and we were both pissed out our brains," she corrected. He shrugged and nodded.

"I suppose."

"I didn't expect what happened this morning to happen, for it to all come out. I wanted to tell you my own way. I could kill Janine for that."

"I'm sure she had her own reasons; she's been trying to get back at me since Stacey left with Ryan. That was months ago," he explained.

"Oh, I didn't know. That explains a lot I guess. She was clearly no mate of mine."

"No, I don't think she was," Bradley agreed and made the tea.

"Please don't chuck me," she begged as he handed her a mug.

"Fee..."

"Please, Bradley. I...I think I've fallen for you and this," she gestured at her still-flat stomach, "this is a mistake, soon to be corrected. I could never be a mother anyway. I can't even take care of myself."

He sat down at the table and curled his hands around his mug. "I don't know," he told her simply.

Ffion looked at her mug and took a sip of her tea.

"You can sleep here tonight. I'll let you have the bed and I'll sleep on the couch, but that's it. I need to think about all this."

Ffion nodded without looking up. "I understand. Thank you. I'm a bit scared to go home, my brother found out, you see."

Bradley sighed and got up to get a pillow and blankets for the couch.

"Right, it's late and I have to be in early tomorrow," he said.

"Okay, good night, and thanks, Bradley."

"Sure, you're welcome."

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Ronnie took a long soak in a hot bath, leaning back as the bubbles shifted around her. There wasn't much better than a bubble bath, she thought, unless maybe it was Ray in the tub with her. She smiled and nodded her head in time to the music and she relaxed.

She was not going to think about Rowan. Rowan would be fine. Ray had said so and he'd seen loads of gunshot wounds and he'd been there when the doctors had finished with her. She was glad he had gone with her. She hated to think of Rowan alone in the hospital, just waking up from surgery. She could imagine how Rowan must feel. Having to deal with the fact that the man you loved might have fathered a child on someone else!

It really was so bizarre how much she and Rowan had in common.

And poor Chris! She hoped Ray would support him as much as he was supporting Rowan. Chris was his best mate after all. She shifted in the tub and pushed the thoughts away. Ray had told her to not get upset, so she wouldn't. But it was hard. She had been there for their ceremony. It had been so beautiful! But she knew Ray had a far more narrow view. Ronnie had paid attention to everything about the ceremony.

Chris and Rowan weren't joined to the death. Rowan's beliefs seemed more focused on the union being sound until it wasn't and then it was easily dissolved to prevent damage. She thought that was a much better way of it.

She stroked her belly, feeling the baby shift inside her. Too bad it hadn't decided to cooperate; she could have done with knowing what she was having. Oh well!

For now, she needed to focus on tomorrow and the meeting with Jack. She had everything sorted on her end and he had told her everything was sorted on his. They only had to sign the papers before a witness and get them filed and it was done! She smiled. The club would be hers again. All hers.

Her own club back, a baby, and Ray. She smiled again and began to hum. Life was pretty much perfect.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Chris finished his third cigarette and went back inside. He got another cup of tea and got one for Ray as well. Ray may have changed his mind by now. Chris walked slowly back to where Rowan was, taking his time, hoping she might be awake by the time he got there if he went slow enough.

Ray looked up as he heard footsteps and felt someone watching him. He looked around and saw Chris outside the glass, with a polystyrene mug of tea. He chuckled ruefully and waved him in. He glanced briefly at his watch, he needed to start thinking about leaving and going home to Ronnie, he was taking her out after all. He didn't feel sure about leaving Rowan and Chris on their own, not when her emotions were as unstable as they seemed.

"Cheers, mate," he smiled as he took the steaming mug and blew to cool it.

Chris nodded absently at Ray and moved around the bed and touched Rowan's forehead as she muttered and shifted in her sleep.

She was hot! He touched her face and then her neck and looked at Ray.

"Just…sorry mate, I better find the doctor. A bit longer, please," Chris begged. He looked at his watch. "It's only just four, okay. I'll try to hurry."

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

_Rowan walked quickly over to the table where Gene, Alex and Shaz were sitting and picked up the glass of champagne as Gene finished toasting Alex. _

_She looked at Alex and winked at her friend before taking a very small sip for the toast. Wine did not agree with her, therefore she tended not to drink it. She put the glass down and walked over to the bar, smiling brightly at Luigi as he approached her. _

"_Buono__sera__," she greeted him. "Can I get a lemonade please, with a shot of vodka?" she ordered and waited while he went to get it. She thanked Luigi as he handed her the drink and she took a sip, then a larger drink, before putting the glass down and turning to listen to Gene and Alex's conversation. _

_Ray nodded and grunted at Luigi as his beer was placed in front of him and watched curiously as Rowan came over and ordered a different drink to whatever Gene had ordered for the little group. He raised an eyebrow at her._

_"Something wrong with the wine?" he half-commented, half-asked. It was common knowledge that the only person who could stand to drink Luigi's house rubbish was Alex Drake._

_Rowan looked at him, shook her head and gave him a small smile._

"_No, the champagne was fine. Wine doesn't agree with me, so I don't drink much of it if I can avoid it," she replied. "I prefer vodka," she added and glanced at her watch. She gnawed at her lip and wondered how late she should stay. She would likely need to get up early to open the café tomorrow. _

_Ray nodded at her slowly and took a long drink from his glass as he considered her. He supposed he should get to know more about her, that's what people did right? But they did that on dates. This wasn't a date was it? This was him chatting up a blond at a bar. It felt weird though; normally women had given him the brush off by now and gone hunting for someone better._

_Rowan was sure Alex wouldn't think her rude though if she had to leave early. She glanced at Ray, then down at her drink before raising her glass and draining it. She ordered another from Luigi and then climbed up onto a barstool and settled herself before turning her attention to Ray. She thanked Luigi for the fresh drink and tapped the glass as she considered what to say._

_He smiled. She wasn't very chatty. He would put that down to her being shy. She was certainly interested judging on how she had thrown herself onto him in the car. He was interested. "So, you know Chris?" he prompted trying to find something to talk to her about._

_She nodded. "Yeah, um, I met him and Alex in the pub last night. I was there with my flatmate and a couple of friends. He told a lot of funny stories about his job, before he moved to Walford obviously," she explained._

_"I didn't actually expect to come here. I mean, I was going to go out with my flatmate and celebrate. But, it was important to be there for Alex, especially since I convinced her to come here, so..." she shrugged and lifted her glass before taking a drink. "Yay, me," she giggled._

_Ray nodded at her. That sounded like Chris. He held in a grin as she started to talk to him. He didn't really know what she was talking about; he wasn't listening, just nodding encouragingly in places that she paused. He was too busy to listen. He was busy admiring her, appraising her with his eyes as he watched her, making no effort to keep his gaze on her face._

_She put her elbow on the bar and leaned her head on her hand and looked at him. He was the complete opposite of what she looked for in a man, the few times she bothered to look. But she had to admit it, she wanted him. She looked at his hand on the bar and mused over what that big, strong hand could do to her and she fought back a blush._

_She looked back at his face, his eyes, his eyes were amazing. She realized she wanted him to take her, she didn't care where they went, but she wanted to be taken. The sooner, the better. She picked up her drink and drained it before slipping off the barstool and walking over to Alex._

_/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Ray started as she suddenly got up and wandered off. How long had he gone without speaking? Did she think he was ignoring her? He sure as hell wasn't ignoring her. Quite the opposite._

_"I'm just going outside, but I might be leaving soon. I didn't want you to think I would leave without saying goodbye," she grinned and then turned to Gene and stuck out here hand."Thank you."_

_"It's nice to meet you," she said._

_"You too. Alex tells me you're the one who talked her into coming to see me," he remarked._

_"I suppose so, yes. She was already making her mind up though, to be fair."_

_He nodded and patted Rowan's hand._

_She flashed him a smile and after a quick glance at Ray, headed for the door as she fished her cigarettes out of her bag. She hurried up the steps and leaned against the cool bricks and lit up. She sighed as she blew the smoke out and felt her tension ease slightly._

_His eyes narrowed curiously as she looked at him then left the building. He drained his pint and dropped it on the bar then made his way upstairs to follow her. He had no intention of letting her leave just yet, not without him anyway. He was almost relieved to find her just smoking. He smiled as he drew closer and stood next to her. What the hell! He would take his chance._

_"Fancy going somewhere else?"_

_Rowan jumped and looked up at him in surprise. She knew she shouldn't be shocked by the question, it was clear he wanted her, but it was still somehow unexpected. She stuck the cigarette in the ashtray and turned towards him._

_She stepped close to him, nearly touching, and tilted her head as she reached up a hand and trailed a finger down his hand before raising her eyes to his._

_"Where did you have in mind?"_

_Ray shivered with lust as she stepped up to him. Almost touching. He twisted his wrist and caught hold of her fingers in his hand. He stared down at her and felt his eyes narrow. So close._

_"Yours? Hotel? Somewhere else," he answered, his voice coming from low in his throat._

_Rowan almost gasped as he took her hand, but she didn't jerk away. She couldn't. His voice rippled through her and she tried to keep her breathing even._

"_We could go to mine," she replied, trying to keep her voice calm and steady as her heart beat fit to burst. She reached into her bag and grabbed her phone and called a taxi, her eyes not leaving his. She stepped away from him as the cab pulled up and she climbed in._

"_89 George Street, please, that's in Walford, just off Albert Square," she told the driver as Ray climbed in. _

_She fidgeted the whole ride to the Square. As they passed the café, she touched his hand and pointed at it. _

"_I bought that today," she told him and smiled._

_Ray glanced at the Cafe as she pointed it out. He raised his eyebrows at her. "You cook?" he questioned curiously. It seemed decent female cooks were becoming rare. Women seemed to think that the kitchen wasn't the place for them. He disagreed. That's what they were here for. Cook food for men. That and other more interesting things. He grinned at her as a mixture of images flashed across his mind._

_He looked out the window as the cab stopped and he pulled a couple of notes out of his pocket. "Cheers," he grinned at the cabbie as he ushered Rowan out._

_Rowan nodded at his question. "People say I'm a very good cook," she shrugged. _

_Rowan glanced at him as he paid for the cab and walked up the steps to the door and unlocked it. She let him inside and then followed, closing the door behind her before heading up the stairs. She just hoped Alyssa wasn't home. She turned as she reached the door and put her finger across her lips to indicate silence and opened the door to the flat. She moved inside and glanced around. No sign of __Alyssa. She gave an inward sigh of relief and ushered him inside then took his hand and led him to her room. She pressed her ear to Alyssa's door, but couldn't hear anything. She followed him into her room and shut the door. _

_She stepped close to him and immediately began unfastening his belt and trousers, avoiding and warding off any attempts from him to touch her. She watched his trousers drop and then pushed him to sit on the bed. She bent over and pulled off his trousers, shoes and socks and then stepped between his legs and pulled off his shirt, again not letting him touch her. _

"_Ray," she whispered, "behave."_

_She dropped his clothes next to the wardrobe and pulled off her boots. She straightened up and faced him and began to undress, slowly, using the skills she'd learned from years of belly dancing classes as she stripped. She stepped between his legs and trailed her fingers down his chest appreciatively before leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. She pressed her cheek to his, bringing her lips close to his ear. _

"_Tell me what you want," she invited, her voice harsh with desire. _

_Ray closed his arms around her and locked her to him fiercely. That display he hadn't expected, but they did say didn't they, you had to watch the quiet ones. Well, he had watched, patiently waiting for her to let him touch her, mesmerised by her. His hands itching to touch, hold, caress. He wasn't waiting any longer. He planted slow open mouthed kisses down her neck until he reached her shoulder. He detached his mouth from her soft skin and looked at her, his eyes almost black with lust._

_"You."_

_His voice was deep and husky and he held her gaze and tightened his arms around her securely, enjoying the feel of her pressed right up against him. He fell onto his back with her held down on him and rolled them both so that she was on her back. His eyes roamed over her body and his hands moved down over her hips and along the length of her leg, then back up slowly. He relished every move he made and fixed his gaze back to hers._

_Rowan moaned softly as he touched her. His hands setting fire to her flesh and making her shake. She __reveled__ in the kiss, kissing him back fervently__._

_"You," he repeated and bent his head down to kiss her as his hands moved slowly up her torso, one slid up her neck and tangled in her hair as he pressed his lips harder against hers, taking all he could. His other hand settled on her breast and he broke the kiss, his eyes gleaming._

_"What do you want?" he challenged._

_She opened her mouth in surprise at his question and she snaked an arm around his neck and pulled him close as her other hand slipped inside his boxers. Her eyes widened at the size of him and she caressed him with her hand. Her control eroded away and she felt his lust wash over her. She drowned in it, wanting more. _

"_I want your hands on me. I want you inside me. I want you to take me, anything you want, anything," she breathed and kissed him. She was burning for him. She slipped her hand out of his boxers and pushed them down. _

_Ray groaned at her words as they caused his lust for her to rage out of control and he buried his face into her neck as he clutched her to him. His kisses were hard as he made his way back up her neck to her lips and kissed her as he finally thrust inside her…._

/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Ray's eyes widened and nodded. What was wrong? He wondered as Chris ran off. He copied what Chris had done and gulped. She was burning up. He pressed her hand to his lips and wished her better.

"Ray," Rowan whispered in her sleep and twisted again.

Ray gulped. Saying his name in her sleep. That wasn't good. "Ro," he murmured back "Rowan, wake up," he encouraged as he took her hand and squeezed lightly.

Rowan reflexively squeezed his hand back and shifted in her sleep again and muttered. Her breathing became more rapid and her heartbeat increased.

She pressed her head back into the pillow. She suddenly lurched forward, sitting up, and drew in a loud, rasping breath as her eyes flew open. She panted for air and turned to Ray, her eyes wide and confused. "So real," she whispered and grabbed the front of Ray's jacket and pulled him to her and kissed him hard. She broke off the kiss and let him go, clutching her hands to her chest as tears spilled from her eyes.

She looked at Ray again. "Are we?" she began, unable to get a grasp on reality. She held up her hands and looked at them.

Ray's eyes went wide as she released him. He closed his eyes as he fought to keep himself under control. That was one hell of an intense kiss, especially from a person in hospital, he was having trouble keeping himself in check. He opened his eyes and looked at her with a frown.

"So real," she repeated and shook as she broke out in a cold sweat. "I dreamed….was it a dream? So real, oh Goddess I'm so confused," she wailed. She whipped her head towards Ray again. "I went to Luigi's…with Alex that day, and we," she gestured at Ray then at herself. "You took me home and we….and it was so real. I've never….," she broke off and shuddered. "I can still feel you inside me, I was burning, on fire," she breathed and wrapped her arms around herself to try and stop her shaking.

"There was something in the station. Something evil," she said softly and looked at him again. "Where you used to work, at Fenchurch. I felt it when I followed Alex inside when she went to see Gene. It was so dark," she paused and swallowed, "and it was hungry."

"It was just a dream, Rowan. The only bad thing at Fenchurch is the scum in the cells, but we have that at Walford too, so no change there," he said with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry," he pressed his hand to her forehead. "Chris went for a doctor, you were burning up," he mumbled as he checked her temperature with the palm of his hand.

She looked at her hands again.

"I'm fine," she said. "Ray, I know it was a dream, but it was so real, you don't understand. It was so real that I'm not sure I'm awake right now," she said and grabbed her head. She looked at her hands again and then grabbed his hand and inspected it before letting it go. She could hear the heart monitor and she knew the panic was making her heart race. She felt...disconnected.

She clutched at the covers on the bed and looked at Ray.

"And no, I'm not talking about criminals, Ray. What I felt there was," she closed her eyes and flitted through her memories, funny how the memories of the dream were mixed in with her actual memories, she was beginning to get confused, she pushed it aside and focused. "It was in the hall, when I passed Viv's desk," she recited, her tone almost monotone. "It was dark and twisted...and hungry...like I said. Then I followed Alex through the double doors and when they closed behind us, it went away. Shaz ran over and hugged Alex and you said hi to her and then um, well, you said hi to me but you weren't talking to my face," she opened her eyes and glanced at him. "Oh, the look on your face," she teased him, then closed her eyes again. "Alex went in and spoke with Gene while I talked to Shaz and you ogled me. Gene and Alex came out of the office and he spoke of the pub and so you all started walking out and I followed after Shaz and I felt it again, once we got into the hallway," she looked up at him.

"What was in the hallway at Fenchurch, Ray? I'm sure the cells aren't there are they?"

Ray shrugged at her. "It was just a dream Rowan. It's not real" he told her gently. She was ill; everything was bound to seem more real when she was asleep, more vivid.

/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Chris hurried down the hall, trying to find Rowan's doctor, or even a nurse. He finally found them working on someone who had had a heart attack. He watched and waited for them to finish, his worry for Rowan making him pace.

/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\

Chris got tired of waiting and bolted back to the room. He smiled when he saw Rowan was awake and listened to what she was saying about the hall.

"Why do you want to know what was in the hallway at Fenchurch, Ro?" he asked her curiously and walked over and touched her forehead, which was now cool. "I could have sworn you had a fever," he muttered.

Rowan looked at Chris. "Because, like I've been trying to tell Ray, there's some thing there! Something awful, something evil," she looked at both of them. "Something I'm not even sure is human."

Chris' eyebrows flew up. "But you've never been there."

"I dreamed I was there, look I can't explain it to you, Chris but there is something there!" she insisted. She speared Ray with her gaze. "There is."

Ray shook his head at her. "Not down that corridor, no. There's the interview rooms opposite what was our open office, and that lost property store cupboard where the Guv shoved Keats. Just to piss him off," Ray chuckled. "He kept adding bicycles to clutter it up and make it a smaller space. He hated Keats," he grinned.

Rowan felt a shiver down her spine at that name-Keats. Something resonated in her and then was gone.

She shook her head at Ray. "I know it was a dream, but what I felt was real, it was there..." she trailed off and looked at both of them and sighed. She drew up her knees, crossed her arms on them and leaned her forehead on her arms.

Chris looked at Ray and shrugged. "Sorry, mate, you should get on. Ronnie won't thank us for making you late," he grinned then looked at Rowan.

Ray nodded and checked his watch. He really did have to go. "See you later mate," he said to Chris as he patted his shoulder then smiled weakly at Rowan. "Take care of yourself," he told her seriously then squeezed her hand and left the room.

After Ray left, Chris sat down next to Rowan on the bed and put his hand on her back and tried not to show how much it hurt when she flinched.

"Ro, please, I'm so sorry. I have to tell you. She was drunk and all over me and you and I were fighting and..."

Rowan lifted her head and looked at him. "I don't care that you shagged her, Chris, considering we were, well...anyway. I'm hardly blameless."

His eyes widened at her words. Did she mean what he thought she meant? She saw his expression change and nodded.

"You left me alone, Chris. I couldn't take it. You made me rely on you and then you were gone."

She held up a hand at the question in his eyes. "I'm not going to tell you who, it's not important. At least I'm not going to turn up pregnant."

Chris looked down.

"_My_ problem is that _she's_ pregnant. How can I live with that? We can't stay together, Chris, not if she's having your baby. It's best to do it now, before it happens later when the baby is here and you slowly drift from me because you want to be with the child," she explained and swiped at her eyes.

"But we don't know it's mine!" he argued. "Please don't shut me out now."

"It hurts, Chris. I love you and this is tearing me to pieces."

And now she was dreaming about being with Ray. She sighed.

"Rowan, please, I don't want her and I don't care about the baby. If it's mine, I'll give her some money to help her out and ask her to move away or something. I want you, Ro, not her. She's...even if she stayed...I couldn't be with her even with the baby I couldn't."

Rowan looked at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. Chris grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her desperately. Rowan couldn't help but kiss him back. His hands slipped under the covers, under the hospital gown and over her breasts.

"Oh, Rowan," he breathed against her mouth as he touched her. Rowan moaned. The dream had inflamed her and she reveled in Chris' touch.

"We can't do this here, anyone could walk in," she gasped as one of his hands slipped between her legs. He stood up and walked to the door and pulled the shade on the door and threw the bolt. He looked back at her and smiled.

"Not anymore," he told her and strode back over and pulled the covers from her. He unfastened his trousers and shoved them down before sliding his hands up her legs again. She winced as she moved wrong and made her shoulder twinge.

He stood up and then helped her off the bed and turned her around. He slipped his arms around her and began to stroke between her legs again. Rowan gasped and leaned so she could relax on the bed. She couldn't believe he was acting like this!

Chris grabbed her hips and thrust into her from behind and Rowan cried out. She clutched at the bed as he drove into her. "Oh, Chris!"

Chris moaned. He'd missed her! He couldn't believe he was doing this, but she wanted it, he couldn't believe how responsive she was being. Her orgasm set his off and he cried out her name.

He leaned on her slightly and tried to catch his breath. He hurriedly pulled his trousers back up and helped Rowan stand and get back on the bed properly and then sat down and wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you, Ro."

"I love you, too, Chris."

Chris held Rowan tightly. He wouldn't let her go. He leaned back and put his hand on her face.

"I'm so sorry, Ro," he said to her. She nodded. "Me too."

"Love, you have nothing to apologize for, please."

Rowan nodded and leaned against him. Chris kissed her cheek and got up to unlock the door then came back over and sat next to her again. A little while later, the doctor came in to check Rowan over.

He finished his exam and looked at her.

"How are you feeling?"

"A bit tired, but otherwise okay."

"How's the pain?"

"Bearable."

"You really need to get some more sleep soon," the doctor said. "We'll bring a tray in for you soon to eat."

Rowan thanked him and looked over at the clock.

"I hope Jack and Alyssa get here soon," Rowan remarked after the doctor left. Then she looked at Chris intently. "I'm afraid to go to sleep," she whispered.

Chris held her close. "It'll be fine, Ro."

She sighed."I hope so. It was so real, it was just terrifying."

Chris stroked her hair, at a loss what to say.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\

Alyssa glanced through the window into Rowan's room and gently tapped the glass to alert Rowan to her presence. Once she looked she waved and then tugged Jack's hand and took him into Rowan's hospital room. She smiled at Chris and sat on the edge of Rowan's bed.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she took Rowan's hand gently and smiled at her.

Chris stepped around and stood next to Jack so Alyssa could sit with Rowan.

"I'm better I think. They're going to make me stay tonight and tomorrow night though."

She glanced over at Chris and then looked back at Alyssa.

"Make Chris stay with you and Jack tonight, I don't want him to be alone," Rowan said to Alyssa quietly so Chris wouldn't overhear. Rowan couldn't explain why, but the idea of Chris being alone scared her.

Alyssa smiled at Chris and moved to sit on the chair instead. She nodded. "I'll come in to see you tomorrow, bring you something edible to eat," she promised. "I don't know how you're going to survive on hospital food for two days, Ro," she smiled. "I'll be straight over after I shut the Salon."

She nodded and looked over at Jack and Chris. "I'll not let him go back to the flat alone, he can have the spare room," she promised and squeezed Rowan's hand gently.

"That would be appreciated, Lyss. I think the food will be easier to deal with than having to sleep here. I had this dream earlier that was just a little too real," Rowan told her. "I really am not looking forward to sleeping."

Chris glanced at Jack and pulled out his cigarettes and lighter. Jack nodded and they left to go and smoke.

Alyssa frowned slightly at Rowan "One bad dream doesn't mean a succession of them Ro," she said softly. "Maybe you won't dream. Maybe you'll just sleep," she said supportively with a small smile. She heard Jack and Chris leave the room and furrowed her brow at Rowan. "So, what's going on with you and Chris now then? One moment you're angry and upset and now..." she sighed. "You seem, normal-ish," she shrugged.

Rowan nodded.

"We talked. I think we've got some things worked out. I told him I forgave him for having sex with Ffion, that I wasn't upset about that as much as I was upset about Ffion being pregnant. I told him I had sex with someone else when we were apart."

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

"I think we'll be okay now, I hope we'll be okay. I know Gerald is your dad, but I'm really hoping he's the father and not Chris."

Alyssa nodded. "I can understand that. Mum will actually kill Ffion and Dad if he is the father. Not just because he cheated on her but because he got her pregnant," she sighed. "She will tear them to strips."

Alyssa shook her head with another sigh. "Is there anything you want me to bring you while you're stuck here?" she offered.

"I wonder if Ffion will keep it," Rowan mused. "Is she having a test done?"

Alyssa shrugged. "I really don't know," she replied then looked bashful. "I didn't really hang around to find out what was going to happen," she admitted.

"I can't think of anything I need really. I'll do what you're supposed to do in hospital and watch crap television," she joked. She reached over and took Alyssa's hand.

"Thank you for coming to see me."

She looked up as Jack and Chris came back in.

Alyssa squeezed back. "You're welcome," she smiled back. "And I was too worried about you to not come."

Alyssa pointed a finger at Chris as he came in. "You, DS Skelton, are coming home with us," she informed him with a small smile.

Chris looked at Rowan's set expression and then nodded at what Alyssa said. "I'll need to stop and get some clothes."

"No trouble, can do," Jack told him. He reached over and hugged Rowan. "You take care of yourself. You're like family, you know."

Rowan gave him a squeeze back. "I will, thank you, Jack."

Jack pulled Alyssa from the room and Chris sat down and took Rowan's hand. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"Okay."

She sighed as he folded her in his arms again. Maybe this would work out. She allowed herself a slight smile.

Chris pulled back and kissed her before standing up and giving her a small wave and leaving. The nurse came in as Chris was walking out and he nodded at her.

He let the door close, watched the nurse go and speak to Rowan and then turned to Jack and Alyssa.

"All right, suppose we better go," he sighed and followed them out.

Alyssa glanced back inside the room to Rowan and the nurse as she left the room and sighed. She squeezed Jack's hand gently. She nodded at Chris and lead both men back outside to the car.

Chris' eyes closed as he sat in the back seat of Jack's car as he drove to the restaurant so he could get some clothes. He jolted and opened his eyes and looked at the empty seat next to him and down at his hand.

He could have sworn he was with Shaz and holding her hand. He rubbed at his face and sat up and kept his eyes open. That had been bizarre.

Alyssa waited patiently for Chris to put a bag of clothes together and looked at Jack.

"Rowan's afraid to sleep," she told him. "She's getting dreams she doesn't like," she explained with a sigh, "If she doesn't sleep then her body isn't going to heal itself properly," she rubbed at her face and looked up as the door to the restaurant shut. She smiled at Chris as he came back and sat in the car.

"They'll make sure she sleeps, love, don't worry about it," Jack told her and patted her hand.

Chris locked up and slung his bag into the back seat and climbed in after it. "All right, think I've got everything. Thank you. Not sure I really liked the idea of staying there by myself," he said.

Alyssa turned in her seat and smiled at him. "You're welcome, you know that the spare room is always there for you Chris, you and Ro," she told him then turned in her seat as the car started and they drove home.

Chris nodded. He pulled out his phone and called JT to ask him to open the restaurant.

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Ffion sat in Bradley's bed and tapped her phone in her hand.

"Meet me in cafe at noon tomorrow, please," she sent to Chris and Gerald. Then she sent a text to Shaz.

"Going to meet Gerald and Chris tomorrow at noon at cafe. Please keep Rhys away."

/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Gerald looked up from the TV as his phone went off. Ffion? Maybe an explanation as to why she ran off earlier. He read the text and frowned at it. Why? He shrugged, he would deal with it. He would go.

/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

Shaz picked up her phone and grimaced as she read the text, that would be no easy feat. Keep Rhys away from Ffion and her two prospective baby daddies. She chewed her lip, as long as Rhys didn't know about it then she wouldn't have such a difficult time, she deleted the text, that way she had no proof that she got the text from Ffion and Rhys couldn't accuse her again.

/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

Alyssa bit her lip. She stared out of the window and watched the road, if Chris had got one then surely Gerald had too? She inhaled through her nose and sighed. What a mess!

She climbed out of the car as soon as Jack stopped it and climbed the steps to the front door and let herself inside, she left it open for the two men and poked her head into the lounge. "Heya Dad," she said in a small voice.

Gerald looked up at Alyssa and held out an arm to her, she walked over and curled up next to him on the sofa. "I'm sorry Dad, I shouldn't have lost it."

Gerald kissed her forehead lightly. "It's fine Alyssa, I was expecting it, mind you," he shifted his position so he was more comfortable and looked down at her. "I'm not looking forward to your mother's reaction."

Alyssa looked up at him and bit her lip. "About that," she sighed. "I may have called her."

Gerald frowned and made to speak, but she cut across him. "She didn't answer the phone, Ben did."

"And you said what?"

"I asked to talk to mum."

"And...?"

"And he wouldn't let me, so I hung up," she leant off him. "I didn't tell him Dad, I'm not that stupid!" she retorted. He looked down at her, a little amused. "Considering you almost called your mother and told her that I got someone younger than you pregnant, you may want to rethink that," he said with a small smile. Alyssa pouted at him but put her head back on his shoulder.

Chris took his bag and after another quick thank you to Jack he headed upstairs and wearily climbed into bed. He opened his eyes and once again could have sworn Shaz was with him. He shook his head and closed his eyes.

Jack waited in the kitchen while Alyssa spoke to her father. He had no desire to intrude. He had a quick beer as he stood and waited for her to finish so they could go to bed.

Gerald yawned and squeezed Alyssa's shoulders, he looked out of the door into the corridor and saw the light on in the kitchen, he smiled to himself and nudged her. "I think your fiancé is waiting for you," he grinned down at her. Alyssa shifted in his arms and smiled. She licked her lip and kissed his cheek. "Night, Dad," she grinned as she crawled out of his arms and stepped off the sofa. She padded into the kitchen and leant against the counter next to Jack, she looked at him out of the corner of her eye as she started to braid a lock of her hair "So, did you want pudding or what?"

Jack grinned at her and looked her up and down before raising his eyebrows at her.

"Depends on what the pudding is, love," he said and trailed a finger down her cheek.

Alyssa licked her lips and looked up at him. She turned to face him properly and ran her hands up and down his arms. "Well...What would you like?" she smiled back.

Jack leaned over and whispered in her ear before slipping his arms around her waist, swinging her into his arms and carrying her upstairs.

/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

Shaz was jolted out of her daydream by the smell of Chris and the feel of his arms encasing her. She leant backwards and hit something that wasn't his chest. She frowned at the back of the hard chair behind her and stood up. That was weird. Why had she thought Chris was hugging her? She shook her head and dumped the mug in the sink then went to the bedroom and crawled into bed next to her sleeping boyfriend as a tremor went up her back and caused her to shiver. She curled into Rhys and pulled the covers over her defiantly.

/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

Caroline ignored the flashing of her phone. Benjamin had been trying to get hold of her all afternoon. He had always been like this, annoying when he wanted something. What was the word? Persistent. Her son was persistent. She pulled off the motorway and scowled. She hated traffic and the motorway had been gridlocked almost the whole journey. It had taken her twice as long to get to London. But she was here now. And it was dark. She drove to Albert Square and parked up outside the flat. She got out of the car and looked at the name tags. No Alyssa. No Rowan. She frowned and read the texts from her son. Alyssa had called home. She snarled. She had already stolen Gerald away! What did she want now?

Caroline got back into the car and drove to the B&B they had stayed in last time. She would find them both tomorrow, now she was tired from driving. She booked in and dragged her carry bag to the room.

/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

Ronnie finished getting dressed and admired herself in the mirror. She touched up her makeup and smoothed her hair and went to sit on the couch until Ray got home. She was so excited to see what he had planned. She heard the buzzer and hit the button and opened the flat door. She was surprised to see it wasn't Ray, but smiled when she saw the man with the flowers. She took them with a smile and went back inside the flat and read the card.

They were from Ray.

She put them in a vase and admired them and looked at the clock.

Any minute now.

/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\

Ray drove the car he had borrowed back to the station and handed the keys into Adam. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked home. Rowan would be fine with Chris, the guy was in love with her. Sure Ray loved her, but he knew that it was Ronnie who he loved more. Ronnie, the woman who was most likely waiting for him at home. He sped up and power walked home.

Ray slammed the door behind him and hung up his coat. His eyes widened at Ronnie in the front room. He grinned at her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "You look beautiful, Ron," he told her as he gave her a hug. "Lemme have a quick shower and we can go," he smiled.

Ronnie beamed at him.

"Thank you, and I love the flowers," she said and kissed him back. She watched him walk away and began to wander around and tidy again, though the flat was spotless.

Ray chuckled and stripped as he walked; he got into the shower, cleaned himself and removed any feel of the hospital that lingered on him. He was not a fan it had to be said. He clambered out and towel dried his hair roughly before dressing in something casually smart and emerging from the bedroom. "Okay, Ronnie, taxi will be here in a bit," he announced and wrapped her in his arms happily.

Ronnie wrapped her arms around him and kissed him properly.

"How's Rowan doing?"

Ray's arms locked around her waist. "She's having dreams and getting a bit worried about them. But apart from that she seems fine," he explained.

"Did Chris go see her? Are they going to be okay?"

She turned her head as she heard the horn for the taxi.

"Ooh! Time to go," she said with a grin and gave him a quick kiss before pulling on her coat.

Ray nodded at her. "They'll work it out. Chris isn't going to give her up. He loves her and a one-nighter with Ffion isn't going to chance that," he explained as he straightened his clothes and slid an arm around her waist.

"Come on. I'll bet the meter's running," he grumbled as he lead her downstairs and outside into the cab.

Ronnie followed him down eagerly and climbed into the cab. She couldn't wait to see where they were going for dinner. She looked at him as he climbed in.

"So, don't suppose you're going to enlighten me on where we're going?" she asked hopefully.

Ray grinned and shook his head at her. He handed the cab driver a small slip of paper with their destination written on it and then leant back into the seat and slipped an arm around her shoulders.

Ray paid the cab driver and climbed out of the cab then held Ronnie's hand once she had stepped out, too. He stood with her a little uncertainly in front of the large hotel. Now they were here he wasn't sure if she would like it or not. He cleared his throat and pointed to the gold framed sign on the door.

"Valentines Dance and Dinner."

He looked at her curiously as he looked at the entrance hall of the grand hotel. He certainly felt anxious, but if she didn't like it they could go somewhere else, he didn't mind.

Ronnie looked at the hotel and then back at Ray, her mouth agape.

"Ray, really?" she asked, barely containing her excitement. "This...this is amazing!"

She took his arm and smiled at him before waving her hand in front of him. "Take me in then."

Ray grinned down at her. He had got it right. He happily led her inside, ignoring the feeling that he felt a little out of place in the posh lobby. He ignored the snooty looking receptionist and led Ronnie straight to the restaurant and the ballroom. He looked at all the other couples in the place and smiled at the expression on Ronnie's face as he went to give their names to the maître'd.

Ronnie couldn't believe what Ray had planned. It was so amazing! He just constantly surprised her.

She glanced around as they were led to their table and hurriedly shrugged off her coat and handed it over when the maître'd offered to take it and thanked him when he held her chair for her.

She took a sip of her water and gazed at Ray.

"How did you think of this?"

Ray took his seat opposite her and shrugged. "I saw in advertised in a newspaper a while back, figured it would be something you would like," he told her with a smile. He liked seeing her happy, he liked knowing that he had got it right. This time it seemed he had again and he was glad, he didn't like it when she was upset, she looked radiant when she was smiling like she was now. He beamed back.

"Well, I do like it and I love you," she told him. "So, what is for dinner?" she asked and carefully slipped her foot from her shoe and ran her toes over his ankle and just up his trouser leg. "I know what I want for dessert," she said and grinned at him.

Ray grinned back and handed her the set menu. A choice of three options for Starter and Main Course and then a choice of two things for Dessert. He already knew which items he wanted off the menu, he had checked it before he booked to make sure it had things that they both liked to eat. Then of course there was the option of dancing the whole way through. He glanced over at the ballroom where couples had already started and the small band that was playing. Others were sitting at tables looking all lovey-dovey. He didn't mind, he had Ronnie here. "I already know what I'm having," he told her with a smile.

Ronnie looked over the menu and decided what she wanted.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said and put the menu down and gazed at Ray across the table.

Ray smiled and gestured the waiter over, he said what he wanted and then waited patiently for Ronnie to order.

Ronnie ordered what she wanted and then smiled at Ray.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a box and handed it to him.

"I know it's not the best, but I really couldn't think what to get you," she told him as she handed him the gift.

Ray took the box off her and opened it. He grinned as he saw the new phone and looked back up at her "Cheers, Ron," he said happily. His old phone was falling to pieces and driving him insane. He opened the box and tested the weight of the phone in his hand. He couldn't use it until it had charged. He could do that tonight.

Ray put the box on the table and held his hand out to her "While our food is being got, how'd you fancy a dance?"

Ronnie smiled and nodded and took his hand as she stood.

"I'd love to," she replied and followed him to the dance floor.

Ray pulled her against him and glanced at the other couples, they were dancing actual dances. He sniffed. He couldn't do that so would dance the way he wanted to. He smiled back at Ronnie as his arms encircled her waist and swayed with her.

Ronnie leaned against Ray as they danced.

She took a deep breath and smiled and closed her eyes as she put her head on his shoulder.

She sniffed and suddenly the smell of Jack's cologne filled her nostrils. She ran her hand over his back and frowned. She lifted her head and gazed at him wide-eyed as first it was Jack she was with and then he blurred into Ray. She shook her head and put her hand to her temple.

"What the hell?" she whispered. "I need to sit down."

Ray looked down at Ronnie in confusion but accepted it and took her back to the table, sat her down, and dragged his chair around to sit next to hers. "You alright, Ron?" he asked her as he stroked a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.

Ronnie looked up at him.

"I don't know, it was just...the strangest thing. I...can't really explain it," she told him, her tone baffled and unsettled.

She picked up her water and drained it and put the glass down. She looked at Ray. "I'm okay now, I think," she said. She wasn't sure she could tell him that for a minute she'd thought he was Jack. She knew it would make him angry and she didn't want to upset him, not today.

If he asked again though, she might have to tell him.

Ray furrowed his brow as he looked at her, she didn't look as though she was ill. She looked perfectly normal, just a little shaken. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her gently to him. He planted a kiss on the top of her head and pulled back as he heard footsteps approaching. He released her and looked up at the waiter that carried their food. he looked back at Ronnie and smiled at her. "Grub's up," he chuckled and moved his seat back to his side of the table as the waiter put their plates down.

Ronnie held in a sigh, saved by the food.

She looked at her plate. It looked tasty. She took a bite and nodded.

"That helped a lot," she said and set to eating. "I guess I was just hungry."

Ray nodded at her and cast his eyes over her face sceptically, she seemed okay. He was glad, he had almost panicked for a moment. He supposed it was the baby making her weak or something, he would have to do some research, get a book. He held in a groan, a book!

He ate his way through his food fairly quickly, he had been at the hospital all day and hadn't realised how hungry he actually was.

Ronnie finished eating and drained her water. She looked at Ray and smiled.

"Think I'm good for another dance," she said and raised her brows at him as she stood.

Ray grinned and rose from his seat, he took her hand and led her back to the dance floor, most couples were now eating, but the odd few were still twirling around. He smiled as he pulled her against him once more and caught her lips in a gentle kiss before moving across the floor with her.

Ronnie leaned against him as they danced and ignored the fleeting traces of Jack's cologne that danced around her nostrils occasionally and focused on Ray. She lifted her head from his shoulder and kissed his cheek before putting her head back down.

She didn't care that he wasn't dancing with her like the other men. Holding her and swaying gently to the soft music was enough.

Ray tightened his arms around her and ignored the looks he was getting from the other people. So he couldn't dance. Big deal! Ronnie didn't seem to mind. She seemed to like him swaying with her. He kissed the top of her head and glared at anyone who looked at him funny. He was enjoying himself with the woman he loved. There was nothing wrong with that!

Ronnie slipped a hand down and took his hand in hers and brought it to her lips and kissed it then held it to her. She'd seen some of the startled glances and knew Ray was glaring at people. She allowed herself an inward smile as she stepped away, twirled herself under his arm and moved back to lean against him again, holding his hand tight in hers.

She realized her feet were getting a bit sore, she wouldn't have worn these shoes if she'd known about dancing.

"Let's go home," she breathed in his ear and kissed his cheek.

Ray nodded and kissed her with a smile before turning her, sliding an arm around her waist and leading her back to the table, he grabbed up her bag and handed it to her then got out his cash and paid for their evening at the desk. He grinned and hailed down a taxi and followed Ronnie into it.

Ronnie leaned against him in the cab as they went home.

"That was lovely, Ray, thank you," she said as they walked up the stairs to the flat. She sighed audibly with relief as she pulled her shoes off.

She went into the bedroom and got undressed and slipped into bed.

"Oh, Raaaay," she trilled and smiled.

Ray slid off his coat and hung it on the coat stand. He heard Ronnie's voice and looked over at the bedroom. The room shifted and suddenly the flat looked like it did when it belonged to Rowan and Alyssa. He could smell the herbal shampoo Rowan used and could almost taste her cooking. He blinked rapidly and shook his head! What was that! He scrubbed his hands over his face and went to join Ronnie in bed where he proceeded to give her his last Valentines present.

/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\

The nurse took Rowan's vitals.

"Okay, your blood pressure is a bit high. You really need to relax and rest. You've been under a real strain with all the blood loss," the nurse warned her.

"I know, I'm just...not sure I can sleep just yet."

"I'll give you something to help then," the nurse said and went and prepped a hypo.

"No, I don't think that's necessary," Rowan said. She felt a cold wash of terror but kept her expression calm.

"Just a mild sedative," the nurse said. "You really need to sleep. You have to let your body rest," the woman said and injected the contents of the hypo into the IV tube.

"Now, you rest and we'll have a nice breakfast for you in the morning. Give yourself a break, okay," the nurse told her kindly.

Rowan nodded and swallowed.

She watched the nurse leave and stared at the ceiling. She could feel it working already and she fought against it desperately, but it was futile. The panic faded outwardly as the drug worked on her. Her eyes slowly closed and she drifted off.


	18. Chapter 18

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 18**

Keats lit a cigarette and stepped towards the bed. He slowly blew out smoke and stared down at the woman in the bed. She was proving to be an excellent tool. He smiled and giggled before taking another drag from his cigarette.

He leaned down close to Rowan.

"Dream," he breathed in her ear and straightened up. He dropped the cigarette to the floor and ground it out with his foot before shoving his hands in his pockets and starting to whistle as he walked out of the room.

_/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\_

_Rowan woke before the dawn the next morning. She breathed in deeply and winced at the mild soreness in her limbs. She was sore, but unbelievably sated. She was aware of Ray's arm tight around her and his body warm against her back. Last night had been a real eye-opener! He'd been rough and aggressive, but careful not to hurt her. She never knew that was possible. The things he'd done to her. The things she'd done to him. She smiled. She had surrendered to him completely and it had been wonderful! She just hoped she hadn't disturbed Alyssa. She'd tried to be quiet, but there had been times when it had been too difficult._

_She peeled his hand from her breast and slipped out from under his arm. She stretched luxuriously and padded across the room and quietly pulled her clothes from the wardrobe before going to take a shower. She winced at the bruises on her flesh, but she had a poultice in her box to get rid of them. She didn't mind, she knew he hadn't meant them. She pulled on a tight, long sleeved pale grey top and pulled a darker grey, loose sleeveless top stylishly embroidered with flowers over the paler top. She pulled on her most comfortable pair of jeans and her boots._

_She went into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee and sat down and started making lists of plans for the cafe. She glanced at the clock and began mixing up batter to bake muffins and inventories the fridge for breakfast ingredients. She owed Alyssa something as an apology for any noise last night and Ray would likely be ravenous. She grinned and pulled out the eggs and some vegetables and cheese for omelettes and set to work peeling and dicing potatoes to make home fries while the muffins baked._

_Ray finally opened his eyes and released a huge yawn. He sat up slowly and tried to open his eyes, his whole body sagging slightly with fatigue. He felt good. His eyes adjusted to the room and he frowned, unfamiliar. He let himself fall backwards onto the bed so he was lying down once more. He puzzled over it. He hadn't been drunk last night had he?Ray sauntered out of the room and smiled at the delicious array of smells. She had mentioned last night that people said she was an alright cook. He was looking forward to trying her food; his mouth was watering as he made his way into a promising looking room and spotted her in the kitchen._

_A strangely familiar scent caught his attention and he buried his face into the pillow to inhale as much as he could. Memories came back to him. Glorious memories. He smirked into the pillow as his brain woke properly and he remembered exactly what had happened last night. Where was she? He rolled out of the bed and gathered his clothes. He dressed himself, he had no problems being naked in front of Rowan, but she had mentioned she had a flatmate; he didn't really want to shock her._

_"Morning," he announced with a happy grin at her._

_Rowan glanced up from whisking eggs and smiled. "Hi," she poured the eggs into the waiting pan and poured hot water into a cup for him and handed him the cup of tea. She gestured at the milk and sugar on the table._

_"I'm making breakfast, have a seat," she said and quickly checked the pan. She stirred the potatoes again and took the off the heat and put the basket of biscuits on the table._

_"What do you like in your omelette?" she asked him. "I've got ham, cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onions..." she trailed off and glanced over at him._

_He looked just as good as he had last night and she was tempted to go and kiss him, but she didn't want the food to burn. She picked up the pan and with a deft flick of her wrist, flipped the omelette._

_Ray spooned sugar into the mug then added a generous glug of milk too. He stirred it all together as he thought about her question. "Cheese, mushrooms and...ham," he told her with a smile. "Please," he added hastily remembering that he was a guest in her home. He drank down a gulp of tea to cover his bluster and watched her over the rim of his mug curiously. Clearly cooking was something that came naturally to her, judging by the way she was making that omelette, either that or she had had plenty of practise. He studied her and found a part of him waking up. He averted his eyes and looked around her flat in an attempt to distract himself._

_She put the things he requested in the omelette, added some home fries and brought the plate over to him. She took a biscuit from the basket and sliced it open and put it on the bread plate._

_"Buttermilk biscuits, I doubt you would ever have had these, but I think you'll like them," she told him, sliding a hand across his broad back. "I usually put butter and jam on mine," she said and then leaned over and kissed him._

_Ray shrugged and looked at the biscuit curiously, normally he had toast for breakfast, but as long as it was food he was game to try anything._

_At the feel of her lips on his he sneaked an arm around her and pulled her closer, normally a one night stand was enough for him, not with this woman apparently, he couldn't seem to get enough. He wanted her all over again. He reigned himself in, remembering that he had work and let her go reluctantly. He cleared his throat and looked down at his breakfast; he reached for the butter and followed her advice by adding a layer to the top of the biscuit and digging in._

_Rowan felt his hand slip around her and felt her flesh burn. She wondered how much time he would need to get to work. It was still early...not even 7 yet._

_She broke off the kiss and then quickly fixed an omelette for herself and sat down next to him to eat._

_She stood up and hurriedly fixed a cup of coffee and put it on the small table next to Alyssa's door. She pressed her ear to the door and closed her eyes. She thought Alyssa was in rapped twice on the door. "Coffee at 6:45," she announced and went back over to finish eating._

_"So, what time do you have to be at work?" she asked curiously._

_Alyssa dragged herself out of bed and landed in a heap next to it. She stood and stumbled to the door. She opened it and grabbed the coffee. Gulping almost half the cup down, burning her throat as she did so, she moved into the kitchen where Rowan was cooking._

_"Morning," she croaked. She gulped back the rest of the coffee and placed the mug in the sink. She refilled her mug then turned as she leant against the counter and spotted Ray. She looked him up and down curiously, but didn't comment._

_Ray nodded briefly at the redhead as she walked. He glanced at her for a moment then turned his attention back to Rowan. "Usually about 8, but I'll have to leave sooner than usual if I've got to get all the way back to Fenchurch," he shrugged at her. "S'good," he complemented her cooking through a mouthful of egg._

_"I'm making omelettes if you want one," Rowan offered. "This is Ray," she introduced._

_Alyssa smiled and waved at Ray. "Heya." She shook her head at Rowan._

_"No thanks. I think I'm just going to have toast," she explained and reached for the loaf of bread. Ray smiled back at Alyssa. "Hi," he nodded back at her and then looked back at Rowan._

_"I think I might have a shower, yeah," he replied as he polished off his breakfast. He raised his eyebrows at Alyssa; she wasn't eating Rowan's cooking? Was she insane? He smirked as he watched her sneak a buttermilk biscuit onto her plate._

_Ray stood and handed his plate to Rowan. He furrowed his brow as he had an idea. He grinned and slid an arm around Rowan's waist. "Do you fancy joining me?" he whispered in her ear then planted a light trail of kisses along her neck._

_Rowan shivered at his lips on her neck and felt herself going weak at the knees. She led him to the bathroom and got him one of her towels from the cupboard and handed it to him._

_"I would love to join you if I hadn't already got ready for the day. I need to pack up my baking and take it to the café if you want to you can walk me there and I can arrange a cab to take you to work."_

_She leaned against him and touched his cheek as she gazed into his amazing blue eyes._

_"Last night was unbelievably fantastic," she whispered to him as she slipped her arms around him. She wasn't normally so forward, normally?...she was NEVER this forward, but this man had gotten under her skin and into her blood. "I don't suppose there's any chance…tonight?" she asked hesitantly as she pressed against him._

_Ray wrapped his arms around her small frame and pulled her closer. He grinned down at her and nodded. "What time d'you want me?" he smiled down at her. He bent his head down and kissed her roughly. _

_Rowan melted against him._

_"I'm closing the cafe at 8," she told him and trailed her fingers regretfully down his chest before leaving the bathroom._

_"I'll be done in a minute," he told her once he let her go. He figured her flatmate would probably need the shower so tried his best not to hog all the hot water._

_She left Ray to taking his shower, hoping the day would pass quickly. She grinned at Alyssa as she came back into the kitchen._

_"Are you sure you don't want some eggs or something? It's no bother," Rowan offered as she quickly wrapped up the baked things and put the containers in canvas carry bags. She then started on cleaning up her breakfast mess. "Oh, I've packed you a lunch it's in there," she pointed at the fridge, "I made sure to put some muffins in for you," she added._

_Alyssa shook her head at the offer and politely declined it. "No thanks," she replied. "But these biscuit things are amazing," she grinned._

_"I'm glad you like them. I'm going to start selling them at the cafe," she said and sat down with another cup of coffee._

_"And how was your date with Max?"_

_Alyssa smiled at the question. "He was really charming," she grinned. "Though, we did end up back at his and I didn't get back her until around 2, so I'm a little sleepy," she admitted and smiled again._

_"Ooooo, so good night then," Rowan said with a grin and took a sip of her coffee._

_Alyssa glanced in the direction of the bathroom. "Who's he? I thought you had a thing with Chris," she asked curiously._

_"That's Ray. I met him last night, when I went with Alex to her old station," she explained and glanced thoughtfully in the direction of the bathroom. "We all went to Luigi's and I started talking to him and..." Rowan sighed and looked at her coffee. "He's...oh, Alyssa...he's amazing," she shrugged. "I mean, Chris is nice, yes, but we have only just met and I also met Chris' ex last night. They were engaged and I think she still loves him. She's really sweet. I gave her Chris' number. I like Chris, I hope I can be friends with him, but Ray..." she trailed off and blushed. "I can't explain it, it was electric."  
_

_Alyssa smirked at Rowan and nodded. "He's got nice eyes," she commented. "He's not the type of guy I see you going for though," she shrugged and finished off her toast. She cradled her mug of coffee and waited patiently for Ray to finish in the shower. "What's Chris' ex like?" she asked curiously._

_"Shaz is really nice. She's cute, and I get the impression she's a bit feisty," Rowan replied. "So, you'll help me out doing some shopping and getting some prep ready for the big opening buffet tomorrow? I'm going to talk to Bianca to take over around 4 and then close the cafe when we get back so I can start on some of the stuff I can fix ahead of time. Any chance Max would let you go early?"_

_Alyssa smiled at Rowan, the expression on her face clearly showed that she was more than happy. Though Alyssa wouldn't have picked Ray out as the man for her. She shrugged to herself. Whatever. She smiled._

_Gene woke up the next morning, his head felt like it was in a vice and his mouth tasted like something had crawled in it and died, not to mention dry as a sidewalk in high summer. He grunted and coughed and sat up in bed. He leaned, elbows on knees and face in hands. He scrubbed his face and breathed deep. He turned and looked at Bolly. She was adorable when she slept, and she was still real. And he felt like himself again, only better. He padded into the kitchen and switched the kettle on then took a very hot shower. He felt like a new man._

_Alex felt the heat next to her vanish and the weight of Gene disappear from the bed. She sighed and rolled onto her side, screwing up her eyes at the specks of light that managed to find the gap in the curtains. She hid her face in the pillow. She heard the kettle switch on and it starting to boil. The shower started in the room next door._

_She stayed in bed. She knew he would have to return to get dressed. She would get up then. Perhaps._

_Gene finally got out of the shower, all traces of his "sickness" washed away. He went into the kitchen and banged together two cups of tea and carried them into the bedroom. He noticed Alex was awake. He put her cup on the bedside table and set about getting dressed in a brisk, businesslike fashion._

_"Get up Bolly," Gene ordered as he shrugged on a jacket. "We have one of my team to rescue from one of the most inept DCI's around. Let's go."_

_He drained his tea and went into the bathroom for a quick shave then made another cup of tea and waited._

_Alex groaned. She didn't want to get up. She buried her face further into the pillow, inhaling the traces of Gene that lingered there. She rolled out of the bed and took a gulp of tea. She padded to the bathroom. Gene was shaving but she needed a shower._

_"Get out, Gene, I need a shower," she ordered._

_She leaned against the door frame, arms folded and head tilted to one side, watching him._

_Gene carefully finished and wiped his face. He looked at her standing there, still not wearing a stitch! He stood in front of her and put his hand on her neck and then slid it slowly down her bare front. He gave her a quick kiss and then stepped out of the bathroom, giving her a light smack on the backside as he did so._

_Alex shut the door with her foot and stepped into the shower._

_She emerged 10 minutes later wrapped in a fluffy white towel. It smelt of him. She had borrowed his tooth brush and toothpaste to clean her teeth and remove the awful morning taste that lingered there. She made her way back to the bedroom where she knew her clothes lay strewn all over the floor._

_Gene heard her rummaging around in the bedroom and went to see what was going on. He saw she was looking for clothes and went and opened his wardrobe._

_"Bolly," he said, "you left some stuff behind and Luigi gave it to me for safekeeping."_

_He stepped aside and gestured at the two or three tops and some jeans and a pair of dressy slacks that were hanging there._

_Alex smiled. So that's where her favorite top had got to! She kissed him briefly on the cheek and pulled on the jeans and one of the tops. She dug in her bag and found some makeup. She applied it carefully._

_"Don't suppose you've got a hair dryer?" she asked casually._

_It didn't matter if she left it wet, it looked okay when it dried naturally, she would just be paranoid about it._

_She turned to him and kissed him properly then awaited a reply. He kissed her back and snatched up the keys to the Quattro. Gene jokingly puffed air at her hair._

_"No, what do I need with some poxy hair-dryer. Get your act together woman. I've been thinking about your mate and I've decided I want to get one over on Marsden. Call Ray, Chris and Shaz and tell them to meet us at that cafe. The one your mate from last night owns. We'll make a plan when we get there," he grinned and walked out the door._

_/\\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Chris woke up and got ready for work then sat at his small kitchen table and had tea and toast. He hoped DI Drake's antics at the station yesterday didn't cause him too much of a problem at work._

_/\\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Alex nodded and pulled her phone from her pocket as she followed him out and seated herself in the Quattro. She typed up a text and sent it to all three of them and sat back as the car started up_

_/\\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Shaz grabbed her phone grumpily and read the text. WALFORD! They wanted her to go all the way to WALFORD. With this hangover, too. That party after Luigi's had been such a bad idea. She shut Alex's message and stared in shock as she caught sight of sent messages. She gulped, she didn't remember __sending those to Chris. She must have been drunker than she had realised. She knew __he would be there today. Things would either be totally normal or really awkward. She hadn't seen him since he left. She groaned at her own stupidity and went to wake herself up._

_/\\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Chris yawned and walked to the counter and picked up his phone as it beeped. He pulled it off the charger and grinned at the message from Alex. He suddenly realized he had a bunch of missed messages from when his phone had died and read through them. His eyebrows flew up. Shaz! How had she got his number? He blushed at some of the messages she'd sent him._

_He wondered idly if Shaz would be at this meeting, since the Guv had called it. He pulled his shoes on and put his plate and empty mug in the sink. He checked his hair a final time and headed for the cafe._

_/\\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Ray dressed himself for the second time that morning and rubbed Rowan's towel over his damp hair. It counted as drying it. He folded the towel as best he could and replaced it. He looked at his face in the mirror and smiled. She wanted to see him tonight, it was a little scary. He didn't do relationships. He wasn't good at them. He gulped, but shook away the thought and emerged. He could hear the conversation between Rowan and Alyssa and wandered back into the kitchen._

_"I'm sure I can persuade him to let me go early," Alyssa grinned. "And if he doesn't I'll make it up to him. I'll be there around 4 when you shut so we can go and get everything," she promised._

_Alyssa looked up as Ray came back in and smiled warmly at him. She looked back at Rowan. "I'm off for a shower," she said and dumped her stuff in the sink before leaving Rowan and Ray alone again._

_Rowan chuckled at Alyssa's comment._

_"I just bet you will," she remarked and smiled up at Ray as he walked back into the kitchen. She nodded as Alyssa left and stood up and walked over to Ray._

_"I've got my things all packed if you'll help me carry them to the cafe," she said. She walked over to the counter and grabbed the canvas bags and came back to Ray and held two of the bags out to him._

_Ray took the two bags off her gamely and grinned at her. "Lead the way," he smiled at her and looked around her flat once more. He hadn't taken in much while he had been here, to be fair he had been rather distracted by Rowan and hadn't been paying much attention to his surroundings, not when he had other, more important things on his mind. He chuckled to himself and looked around briefly. The surroundings weren't all that interesting at all. He moved his gaze back to Rowan as he followed her out, much better._

_/\\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Chris smoked as he walked to the cafe and sent off a reply to one of Shaz' texts._

_"On my way to meeting. Look forward to seeing you."_

_/\\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Ronnie hurried Jack along. She needed to get him out of her flat. Chelsea had been calling him all morning and Ronnie was tired of hearing the phone ring._

_"I'll just tell her I fell asleep at the club and my phone died," he told Ronnie as he drank his tea and finally shut off his phone. Ronnie frowned at him over her mug but said nothing. She couldn't believe she had agreed to sleep with Jack last night. But if it came to a fight with Chelsea, Ronnie knew she would win. Ronnie fought dirty._

_/\\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Shaz sat patiently on the bus as it stopped ____again__ to pick up some more people from a bus stop, she knew that she was being impatient, but she couldn't help it, it had been ages since she had seen Chris and she missed him, she missed him a lot. A helluva lot. She twiddled her phone in her hands and read his text again, he hadn't been too put out by her drunken texts then. She read his text again and smiled. He was looking forward to seeing her. Butterflies rose up. She was looking forward to seeing him too. She smiled as the bus pulled away from the curb and stared out of the window in an attempt to distract herself._

_Rowan led Ray downstairs and noticed Jack and Ronnie coming out of Ronnie's flat._

_"Hi, Jack, hi, Ronnie," she greeted them. Jack grunted and Ronnie smiled and waved before turning back to Jack. Rowan shook her head and led Ray to the cafe. She pointed out the Queen Vic as they passed._

_"We could maybe go there for a drink when I'm done tonight if you want," she suggested as they passed. She dug her keys from her pocket and unlocked the cafe door and held it open for him to go in and then followed after. She locked the door behind her and placed the bags on the counter before stepping behind it and getting the tea and coffee going._

_She watched him put the bags on the counter and stepped up to him and smiled as she slid her arms around his waist._

_"Thank you for helping me with the bags," she told him. "Suppose I should call you a cab now," she sighed and ran a hand up his chest and around his neck._

_Ray enclosed his arms around her and smiled down. He supposed he should call a cab. Not that he wanted to. Work didn't seem quite so exciting anymore. He grunted as his phone went off in his pocket and he pulled it out. He grinned as he read Alex's text._

_"Apparently not," he smiled and showed her his phone. He pocketed it once she had read the text and __pulled her closer. "So," he shrugged and kissed her._

_Gene pulled up near the cafe and parked._

_"So, here we are then," he remarked. Chris hurried over when he saw the Quattro._

_"Hiya, Guv, ma'am," he said._

_Alex climbed out of the Quattro and waved at Chris. "Heya, Chris," she smiled back._

_/\\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Shaz got off the bus at Walford and walked to Albert Square where Alex had said they would be. Now all she needed to do was find the Cafe: it didn't take her long, the Quattro parked out the front was like a huge neon sign directing her and she made her way towards it._

/\\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\

_Rowan smiled at the message and kissed him back._

_"I suppose I better open up then before they get here," she said after breaking off the kiss. She slipped away from him and unlocked the door and turned the sign to "open"._

_She poured Ray a cup of tea and handed it to him before unpacking the things she'd baked._

_She put the things in the display cases. She looked at the pain au chocolat and picked one up and a plate and carried it over to Ray. She tore a piece off it and held it up to his mouth._

_Ray raised his eyebrows at her. He had only just had breakfast! What was she playing at? He obliged her and ate the small piece of pastry off her finger._

_After he ate it, she dipped some of the chocolate out with her finger and leaned over and put her finger to his lips and smiled._

_Ray grinned against her finger, causing the chocolate to catch his lips. He licked them and then held her hand as he ate all the chocolate off her finger. What was he doing? Ray Carling be__ing hand-fed by__ a woman! He actually found he didn't really mind too much. He kissed her finger once all the chocolate had gone and grinned up at her.__  
"I'll have a full English, love," Gene replied._

_Rowan shivered as he ate the chocolate off her finger. Gods, she wanted him! Rowan leaned down to kiss him, but heard the door open and straightened up quickly, putting the pastry down on the plate._

_Gene walked in, turned and ushered Alex, Chris and Shaz in behind him._

_"Well, Raymondo is already here so let's sit down and get started," he announced. He turned to Rowan. "Can you get us some tea, love?"_

_Rowan nodded. "Would you like anything to eat?"_

_"Same here, thank you, Rowan," Chris added._

_Rowan nodded and looked at Alex and Shaz._

_Alex smiled at Rowan and looked at the arrangement of cakes and pastries "Can I have a chocolate muffin, please?" she smiled and took it from Rowan, grabbed a knife and went to take her place by Gene._

_Shaz stood and looked up at the blackboard with the menu on it. "Just a teacake, please," she asked as she took her seat next to Chris._

_"Alright, Guv," Ray grinned and his grin widened as he spotted Chris. "CHRIS!" he boomed "How ya doing!"_

_Chris smiled as Shaz sat next to him and held out his hand to Ray._

_"I'm doing good, mate," he replied. "How about you?"_

_Gene raised his hands. "All right, let's get to what we came here to do," he said and gestured at Alex. "Now, tell us what your mate told you."_

_He looked up at Rowan and smiled his thanks as she brought them their food and refilled their teas._

_Alex sat and told them as much as she could remember about Ronnie's situation, she played with her food idly as she explained to the rest of the team. She smiled, it felt good them all being together again._

_Gene looked around at them after Alex finished talking._

_"So, places like this gossip a lot. Chris, I want you and Shaz to go to the station and get any paperwork on the case you can. Alex, I want you and Ray to canvas the Square, see if you can pick up any gossip. I plan to go and see Mr. Jack Bastard Branning since your mate seems to think he knows more than he's telling. But first, we'll go over to the pub so I can meet this mate of yours and you and I can have a chat with her."_

_He fished into his pocket and pulled out some money to pay for his and Alex's food. He pushed the check over to Chris who glanced at it and got money out for his and Shaz' food, smiling shyly at Shaz as he did so._

_Gene glanced at the empty plate in front of Ray that had had some pastry on it and his cup of tea and looked at the check again and shrugged, assuming Ray had already paid._

_"Right, let's go."_

_He walked to the counter and handed Rowan the money._

_"Cracking breakfast, love," he said to her. She smiled. "Thank you very much."_

_\\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\_

_Shaz smiled back at him as she grabbed up her things and stood so the others could get out of the booth. Chris was being like he was when they first met, shy. She smiled at the thought. He was cute when he got shy._

_Alex followed Gene to the counter and handed Rowan everybody's empty plates. She was certain that Rowan would have better things to do than collect the dirty crockery. "Thanks, Rowan," she beamed as she followed Gene out._

_Shaz smiled her thanks as she followed her two senior officers._

_Ray lumbered up to the counter and shot Rowan a questioning look. "The price for that chocolate thing wasn't on the bill," he confronted her with a small frown._

_Chris looked at Rowan and mouthed 'thank you'. She nodded and then winked at Shaz._

_She looked at Ray and smiled. "Nope, neither was the tea," she told him. She reached up and grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him down and kissed him thoroughly. "I think we're even now," she told him._

_"I'll see you later," she breathed and let go of his shirt._

_"Yes, you will."_

_Ray grinned at her and left the Cafe with a smirk plastered across his face as he followed his team._

_Rowan watched him go. She couldn't wait until tonight._

___/\\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Ronnie cheerfully served in the pub, ignoring her sister's constant glances._

_She saw Alex come in, a man right behind her, and waved at her friend. She guessed the man must be the mysterious, Sexy-Voiced man from the phone._

_Alex waved back at Ronnie with a smile and made her way over to her side of the bar. "Hey, Ronnie," she smiled as she leant on the bar, she gestured at Gene. "This is Gene," she grinned happily._

_"Hello, Gene, I'm Ronnie Mitchell," Ronnie said and held out her hand._

_"Nice to meet you," he said and briefly took her hand. "I'll have a pint please," he said. "And Bolly and I would like to have a chat when you've got a minute."_

_Ronnie nodded. "Sure, no problem," she said and got the pint for Gene._

_Roxy took the money off the counter and placed it into the till. She grabbed her sister's arm._

_"Sorry I need to borrow her for a second," she aimed at Alex and pulled her sister away from the bar to stand at the foot of the stairs._

_"Rox, what?" Ronnie yelped as Roxy dragged her to the stairs._

_Roxy smiled mischievously at her sister._

_"Who did you sleep with then?" she asked persistently._

_Ronnie gaped at her sister._

_"Leave it Roxy," she shrilled. "It's not important and it's not a problem okay? We have punters."_

_She made a face at her sister and walked back over to refill drinks. Her sister was too observant by half, she thought to herself._

_Roxy burst into giggles and clutched her stomach. Ronnie was so defensive._

_Roxy studied her sister's movements and stood nearby to listen as she spoke to the two at the bar._

_She focused her attention on Alex, but watched Roxy out of the corner of her eye._

_"So," Gene interrupted. "I take it you know someone called Jack Branning?"_

_He kept his tone low so it wouldn't carry. This girl was a friend of Bolly's and he was not about to get in her bad books._

_Alex dug her heel into Gene's leg as hard as she could. Now was not the time to talk about past lovers._

_"Ow, Bolls. I'm trying to talk quiet," Gene retorted. Bloody woman._

_Ronnie looked at her friend._

_"It's okay," she said softly. "Yes, I know Jack Branning. But if you want more information than that it will have to be somewhere my sister is not."_

_"Understood," Gene agreed. "Then please arrange a time with Bolly here so we can all meet up some place quiet for a chat," he picked up his glass and drained it. "In the meantime, get us another. Cheers."_

_Alex smiled at Ronnie apologetically. She sipped her wine and squeezed Gene's hand by way of an apology._

_"What about Jack? Are you back with him or something?" Roxy asked loudly._

_"It's really none of your business. Now will you please stop announcing my personal life to the place at large? I hardly think you are in any place to judge. I think we both know that," Ronnie argued, frustrated beyond belief._

_She hated making the "Amy Daddy" reference but really!_

_"To be honest, I'm surprised you even listen when I talk. It's not like you to put much stock in anything I say is it?" she snapped. To make her point, she folded her arms and barely turned her head to look at their father's picture before turning back to Roxy with narrowed eyes. "Is it?" she said softer, through clenched teeth._

_Roxy looked at her sister in disbelief. She was only messing with her sister. Why did she always take everything so personally! Roxy could feel the anger building up inside her._

_"Don't you DARE bring Dad into this!" she half-shouted at Ronnie. "Besides Ronnie, I was only messing, but NO, you have to take everything so bloody personally don't you! Danny wouldn't have been like this!" she said spitefully, her voice cold._

_"Rox, you sometimes have a way of not making it very clear that something is a joke. You push things too far. You always have. You go your own way and do what you want and I have to pick up the pieces!"_

_Ronnie stepped out from behind the bar and folded her arms and snorted. "Danny? Of course he wouldn't. He's your little puppy dog that follows you around and kisses your arse!" Ronnie was fuming now. "And it's so fascinating to me that you are willing to take the word of a perfect stranger that he's our brother with no back up whatsoever when you don't even trust your own sister!"_

_Roxy let her mouth fall open. Ronnie's words stung. She fought back the tears. She would not give Ronnie the satisfaction. She was not going to cry._

_"HE IS OUR MOTHER'S SON! IT DOESNT EVEN MATTER IF DAD ISN'T HIS DAD HE IS STILL OUR HALF BROTHER!" she yelled. She shot her sister a look of pure venom._

_"GET OUTTA MY PUB!" she shouted in true Peggy Mitchell style._

_Ronnie walked up and stood face to face with her sister, her eyes threatening tears._

_"I'm surprised you would take mum's word considering how you felt about her. Interesting that you would even take her side over mine. We don't know he's her son. He could be her toyboy for all we know. There's no proof in my eyes," she said in a low even tone, her eyes fixed on her sister's. She gave Roxy a small shove backwards._

_"I'm happy to get out of your pub," she spat and stormed towards the door.__  
She turned on her heel and stormed upstairs. Danny could man the bar until she calmed down.__Ronnie slammed out of the pub, nearly knocking Peggy over in the process.  
__  
"Ron?" she asked, but Ronnie had stomped off, not even seeing her. Peggy pushed Amy's stroller inside and noticed Roxy was not behind the bar._

_Roxy glared after her sister. She averted her gaze to the group of people who had witnessed the latest Mitchell argument._

_"WHAT ARE YOU LOT LOOKING AT?" she yelled._

_"Oh great," she grumbled. It didn't take a genius to figure out there'd been a fight, especially not with the shocked looks on the faces of those in the pub._

_She sighed and moved quickly behind the bar. She parked Amy and pulled off her coat and hung it up. She looked at the people sitting there._

_"I take it I missed something. Anybody need a refill? Round on the house," she sighed._

_Ray immediately took advantage of the situation. "Ya can stick one in ere luv," he grunted. Chris quietly pushed his glass over for a refill. "And me, ta."_

_Alex was staring at the spot where Roxy and Ronnie had stood and shouted at each other. Those two needed to sit down and talk everything through. They had serious communication issues. And clearly a lot of strong contrasting emotions about things that effected them both._

_"Well nothing like a little dust up to stir the blood," Gene commented. "I'll have another as well."_

_Peggy nodded and set about filling glasses. She could wring those girls' necks._

_Alex stood and walked towards the ladies. That argument had been something. She would have to talk to Ronnie about it. Get through to her about having a civilised conversation with her sister. Work through their issues._

_She groaned. Gene was right. She was becoming a psychiatrist._

_Gene looked at Alex._

_"I suppose we best get busy then," he said to her. Gene went over to Chris and Shaz. "Go on to the station, see what you can find."_

_He walked back over to Alex. "I'm heading over to that club now, you get on with Ray and see what you can find out. If you see your mate, we need to have somewhere to talk with her."_

_Shaz shrugged at Chris and drained her coke before standing off the bar stool and waiting for him so they could get going. She led him outside and let him take her to the station, she watched him anxiously out of the corner of her eye then took his hand and stopped him from walking._

_"Chris," she began and bit her tongue to try and find her words, "I, um, well," she sighed and looked at his face. "I guess I miss you," she finished lamely as she dropped his hand._

_Chris looked down at Shaz and smiled._

_"I missed you, too, Shazzer. These past few weeks have been...really unpleasant. Marsden is a cow and I miss the team, and you. I wanted to call you so many times but I wasn't sure if you'd come see me," he sighed._

_He gestured her to start walking again and glanced at her._

_"Any chance you'd fancy having dinner at mine tonight?"_

_Shaz smiled and nodded at him "I'd like that Chris" she agreed and looked at him a moment as they walked before slipping her hand back into his, she walked along with him comfortably._

_/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\_

_Alex nodded and kissed his cheek then went over to Ray and took the pint glass from his hand. "Come on Raymondo, no drinking on the job," she scolded and held the door to the pub open for him. Ray scowled as she took his drink away, but complied. He glared at her as he left the pub and heard her laugh as she followed. "Cheer up, Ray," she smiled._

_"Why are you so bloody happy?" he grunted, he had wanted to finish that pint. Alex beamed at him "Because, Ray, I had one of the most fantastic nights of my life last night and I am back with the old team," she laughed. Ray smirked. _

_"He slipped you one, then," he commented. Alex glared at him. "That's none of your business, Ray! If you're going to be like that then I might start talking about Rowan," she snapped back and pointed at the carlot. "That's where we are going," she said shortly._

_Ray took Alex's suggestion and they headed off in the direction of the car lot.__Darren and steered in the direction of the office.__  
__Max looked towards the door, but was still in shock over what Alyssa had said. He couldn't find his voice.__last night. She'd been sitting with Alyssa and her mate.__on Max's face. Ray tried not to show his shock at Alex grabbing his hand, he understood though, a sign __that she wanted to leave. She wouldn't take his hand because she wanted to, that would be weird._

_Alex watched Alyssa enter the small building. She hadn't come out so Alex presumed that she worked there. She seemed to know the young man outside. She turned to Ray._

_"How'd you want to play this?" she questioned._

_He grinned at her._

_"Softly, softly Drake, we're just some folks looking the place over. Unless we run into Jack Bastard Branning of course, then," he shrugged and smiled._

_Alex smiled._

_"Let's go car shopping, then," she smiled grabbing his hand._

_Ray groaned. What was it with bloody women and bloody shopping!_

_"Cheer up, Ray, you get to look at cars," she told him as they grew ever closer to their destination. She pulled his arm to make him hurry up._

_Ray strode onto the car lot, or at least tried as he was being dragged along by Drake. He waved off_

_"Hello, anybody here?" he asked poking his head around the door._

_Alyssa looked up at the person intruding on their fairly important conversation._

_"What can we do for you, Sir?" she asked as Max was seemingly in no fit state to talk. She smiled as she recognized the man at the door. "Hi, Ray," she smiled._

_Ray grinned at her. "Hey," he replied, Rowan's flat mate worked here? Could be helpful._

_Alex stood behind Ray as he peered around the door. Why wasn't he barging in as normal. Softly, softly? That was hardly his style was it!_

_"I'd like to speak to the owner of this fine establishment," Ray said smoothly to Alyssa, looking at Max out of the corner of his eye, he guessed that a woman didn't own a car shop! That would be insane!_

_Max had managed to shake himself out of his shock a bit and attempted to clean the tea off his shirt._

_"Yea, that's me, Max Branning," he said as he stood up, still wiping ineffectually at his shirt. "What can I do for you?"_

_Alex stepped into the room behind Ray. She recognized Max as the guy at the pub a few nights ago._

_She nodded at Alyssa and then proceeded to shake Max's hand, too._

_Alyssa watched curiously. The first customers to actually come into the office. To complain maybe? Surely not to buy a car. That was Darren's area of expertise._

_"Oh," Ray said, surprise coloring his tone. "The sign said Branning and Son. I thought you might be Jack Branning."_

_"No, not Jack. Don't know where he is at the moment. He might be at the Club," Max shrugged. He thought they looked like coppers._

_Alex smiled calmly at Max. She hoped Ray would ask something, anything, about the cars._

_Alyssa noticed the cold undertone to Max's voice. She didn't think the man or woman had. She wondered why Max didn't like these people. Surely being nice to the customers was in the job description._

_"Well, if you see him could you tell him I know his old pal, Gene Hunt?" Ray said in a cheerful tone._

_Max pulled off his tie and threw it on the desk._

_"Yea, sure. But like I said, he could be over at the Club," Max replied. He'd seen that woman in the pub_

_Alex noticed Max studying her and pointedly took Ray's hand. She clasped it firmly and kept her eyes_

_Alyssa watched the little scene in front of her, she noted Alex and Ray's hands clasped at their sides, interesting. Something was clearly up. She made a mental note to ask Max about it AFTER they had sorted out where they stood with each other._

_"Ta very much, Mr. Branning," Ray said shortly, keeping a friendly smile on his face. He turned as Alex practically dragged him away from the door. She clearly wanted to get off the car lot as quickly as possible._

_She'd seen what Ray had clearly missed. The photo of Max and Bradley on the wall._

_Max snorted when that odd pair left. He got very tired of old copper mates of Jack's coming around. Why did they never go straight to Jack? Was it some obscure code of greeting?_

_He fussed at his shirt some more and finally tore it off in a fit of aggravation. The tea had soaked through to his undershirt but he wasn't really bothered._

_/\\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Ronnie raised her eyebrows at the tone Gene's voice as he spoke to Jack.__Gene kept his eyes fixed on Jack's face and waited for him to let them enter. If it didn't happen soon, __Gene thought he just might invite himself.__  
Jack sniffed. "Bradley? Oh right, so we're related, and I'm the one who sends him packing? You need to work on your skills, mate!"  
__  
__Ronnie looked at Gene and then back to Jack._

_A few minutes later Gene approached the colorfully painted wall of R&R's. Gene wandered around a bit outside and then walked up to the door and tried it. Locked. He made a growling noise as the door defeated his attempts to open it._

_"I suppose I'll have to come back later, when the place is full of a bunch of poxy wankers with nothing better to do than listen to ridiculous music," he commented. He glanced at his watch and noticed Ronnie approaching._

_"He should be in, I assume you're here to talk to Jack," she said._

_Gene nodded and smacked the door with the palm of his gloved hand._

_Jack rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright!" he called impatiently as he made to open the door. "Keep your hair on!" He pulled the latch and opened the door._

_Gene heard the latch click and turned back to the door. It opened and Gene grinned when he saw Jack Branning standing there._

_"Wellll," Gene drawled. "If it isn't Jack Bastard Branning," Gene spat out, an unpleasant smile twisting his face. "I'll be needing a word," he finished in a low, threatening tone and took a step forward._

_Jack put his hands on his hips and grinned. "Need me for something?" he smiled a cheeky grin. "Well, what is it?"_

_Jack shrugged. His voice was full of confidence and he shifted his weight casually to one leg. "Guess you'll be disappointed then fella, you're not coming anywhere near this place. Got it?"_

_Gene snaked a hand out and grabbed Jack by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer._

_"Listen to me Mr. Bent Copper, I have questions and I want answers. Either I get them inside or out here where everyone can watch," Gene hissed._

_Stunned for just a second, Jack pulled out his right hand and grabbed the man's wrist. He turned it, burning the skin with the friction of it. "I don't think you're in the position to be telling me what to do." snarled Jack. "Like you said-we do it the easy way," and he shifted his leg, kneeing the man in the groin, "Or we do it the hard way!" With one swift action, he head butted the man before him and twisted him to the ground. "And I'm fine with the hard way boys!"_

_Ronnie stepped up and shoved Jack back._

_"He's trying to help me, Jack or don't you care?" she yelled at him._

_Jack, his breathing quickened, glared at Ronnie. "He attacked me first," he argued._

_"I don't care, he's trying to help me."_

_Gene levered himself up and shoved Jack away. He grinned wickedly and began to chuckle._

_"Good to see you haven't lost your touch, Jack. I was beginning to think living in a dump like this and running a place like this might have turned you into a poof. You exceed my expectations. Now give me a pint and tell me about Bradley Branning."_

_"You've got five minutes," Jack gestured them in, a scowl on his face._

_Ronnie looked at Gene as he stood. She was confused about his reaction. She raised an eyebrow at Jack and wondered if he knew Gene. She flounced past Jack into the club and moved to stand next to the bar._

_Gene admired Ronnie's backside as she entered the club in front of him and wasted no time as Jack closed the door behind him._

_"Soooo, Bradley Branning, top suspect in this Archie Mitchell murder case and you helped him leg it," Gene paused and watched Jack as he crossed the room. "Now, I've seen a picture of this Bradley Branning and if he's a killer then I'm the Queen of Sheba. We both know Marsden is about the most useless copper around, which is why I'll wager you aren't behind bars already for helping him do a runner. So, don't suppose you want to share a list of suspects?" he finished with a sidelong glance at Ronnie._

_"Jack, please, talk about the day Bradley and Stacey left."_

_She glanced at Gene. Jack was clearly not going to cooperate. But she hadn't killed her dad. Even if she had wanted to._

_"I'll have that pint now. Thank you. Let's not kid each other, Branning, I'm not stupid and neither are you. I don't give a dead monkey's balls whether you helped him leg it or not. I want to know who offed the old man," Gene stated and smiled._

_Jack scowled. "You want to know?" he smiled. "Me too-why don't you tell me, copper." Copper-he let the last one roll in his mouth slightly._

_"I'm sure you have your ideas, Jack," Gene said, stressing Jack's name._

_"You're the one who knows the losers around here so let's hear a shortlist. I would think you would jump at your precious nephew's name being cleared, not to mention hers."_

_Gene tapped the bar impatiently._

_Ronnie moved forward and tapped Gene's arm._

_"I think you are clearly wasting your time," her gaze moved back to Jack._

_His arms were folded and he was clearly irritated by their presence. Gene would get nothing out of him._

_"Thanks a lot, Jack. Glad to know you care," she spat and stormed from the club._

_Gene stalked behind Ronnie after a last glance at Jack. He saw her leaning against the wall and slipped his arm around her shoulder._

_"It doesn't matter; I'm still going to help you. I'm sure someone else has found something," he tried to reassure her._

_Ronnie sniffed and nodded before turning towards him and kissing him._

_Gene stepped back from her and she blushed._

_"I'm sorry," she whispered._

_"It's fine, love. I'll walk you back to the pub," he said and put his arm around her shoulders again as they walked off._

_/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\_

_Chris walked casually into the station. He wandered through the hallways, nodding and greeting people and keeping a weather eye out for Marsden. He was feeling good now that he was back with the Guv but he wasn't sure about facing off with her right now._

_He made it to the file archives and went inside._

_Shaz followed him dutifully and looked around his new station interestedly as they went. She was curious as to why there were so many little offices, surely that was boring when there was no other people around you when you were working? She smiled as they reached the archives and followed him inside and started looking for the file that the Guv wanted, she supposed she should be grateful that Ray had shoved all his paperwork duties onto her, she knew her way around an archive no problem. Chris had gotten fairly good at finding his way through files after all that had gone on with Keats. _

_He found what he was looking for, checked out the door and started making copies. Shaz stopped looking as she heard the copier and waited patiently for it to finish._

_Chris kept going to the door and peering out. The copy machine could sometimes get loud. At least they had one in the file room. Apparently some people had got upset at one time when they had to copy things for the courts and the nearest copy machine was miles away. He flipped through pages, especially the pages mentioning anything to do with Jack Branning or Bradley Branning._

_Chris frantically finished up the files and put them away. He shuffled the copies together and tucked them inside his coat. Shaz went around closing draws and neatening the files inside, she hated it when the folders were all messed up._

_He slipped carefully from the file room and went to his office. He slipped inside and sat down and began rummaging through his desk. He stuck the few personal odds and ends he had in the desk in his pockets._

_He opened the bottom drawer then and pulled out a dark blue folder. He placed it on his desk and opened it. He smiled. _

_Shaz left the archive room and peeked into one of the offices, she heard footsteps coming down the corridor and slipped inside and shut the door behind her, she smiled at Chris. "We need to go," she said in a hushed tone as the footsteps came closer to the door and then kept going past it._

_Chris closed the folder and picked it up and carried it with him. They managed once again to get through the halls without encountering Marsden and Chris smiled._

_Now to meet up with the Guv._

_/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\_

_Alex released Ray's hand once they were off the car lot and rubbed it down her top, she frowned at him "Your hand is sweaty," she said as she caught his questioning look. Ray shrugged. "You shouldn't have held it then," he retorted and marched away in the direction of the cafe. Alex rolled her eyes and followed after him, she spotted Gene with his arm around a blond figure and her face went flat, she started towards them when she recognised Ronnie, she didn't look so good, was she crying? Alex hurried up in their direction, ignoring the guilty feeling inside her, Gene wouldn't cheat on her. She came up in front of them and put her arms around Ronnie. _

_"Ronnie? What's wrong?" she asked as she hugged her friend and shot a questioning look over her shoulder at Gene._

_/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\_

_Chris grinned as they headed towards the cafe with the copied files. He went inside with her and ordered them both tea._

_"You hungry?" he asked. It had been quite a long, tiring afternoon sneaking around the Walford station. He smiled at Rowan._

_"Give us a burger and chips, please," he requested and Rowan nodded and looked at Shaz as Chris took his tea and went to sit in the back._

_Shaz took her mug and looked at the menu "Can I have some of the lasagne please, Rowan?" she asked and took a tiny sip of her tea before following Chris to the table. She grinned at him._

_Rowan glanced past Shaz and saw Ray come in and gave him a quick smile before turning back to Shaz. He still looked good! Not long now._

_Ray leant against the counter and grinned at Rowan. "So, if I kiss you again do I get more free food?" he asked cheekily._

_me, too. I'm such a fool, Alex," she groaned. She heard her phone beep and pulled it out of her pocket.__"I'll do anything for you, Ron, but I won't talk to coppers. Especially not Gene Hunt. Sorry. I do love you."_

_Gene raised his hands and shook his head briefly at Alex before going into the cafe._

_Ronnie sniffed and leaned against Alex. "Jack was just being a real jerk," Ronnie commented. "He and Gene got into a fight and then Jack flat out refused to help at all."_

_She leaned back from Alex and wiped at her face with her sleeve. "You know, I thought he might have changed. I thought, when he wanted me back that he would be there for me," she sighed. "But he wouldn't do anything. He wouldn't talk about Bradley or anything. Even after Gene said it would help_

_She read the text and handed the phone to Alex with a chuckle._

_She shook her head. "Hard to tell, huh? If he won't help. I hope your man is as good as you think he is. I'll make Jack grovel later, let's go inside, I could use something to eat," Ronnie said and walked towards the door._

_Alex snorted at the text and handed the phone back. "Make sure you do make him grovel Ronnie. If he does love you then he won't give up on you. If he doesn't then he'll lose interest," she advised as she gave her another brief hug._

_She followed Ronnie inside and smiled at Rowan as she stood next to Ray. "Rowan, can I get a coffee and bowl of soup, please?" she asked with a smile and raised a knowing eyebrow at Ray causing him to scowl at her in response. _

_Rowan nodded at Shaz and watched her go sit down before turning to Ray._

_She opened her mouth to reply when Alex and Ronnie came in. Alex's comment causing her to blush furiously._

_She cleared her throat. "Sure," she said as she poured Alex's coffee. Ronnie was biting back a smile too and patted Rowan's hand._

_"I'll have tea and lasagne," Ronnie said and Rowan poured her a cup of tea before pouring one for Ray._

_Ronnie took Alex's arm and dragged her to the table in the back corner under the window._

_Rowan leaned on the counter and looked at Ray._

_"I'm not sure a kiss is enough for say...bangers and mash?" she suggested._

_She noticed Alyssa walking in and noted the time on Ray's watch. They would be going shopping soon. She traced a finger over his hand._

_"Let me get this food ready," she told him. "I have to go shopping with Alyssa soon for the buffet I'm doing tomorrow."_

_She tapped the back of his hand then. "We'll settle up later," she told him and gave him a look before turning to dish up the food._

_Ray nodded at her with a grin and grabbed his mug and wandered to the back of the Cafe with the others. He was on a promise._

_"Hey, Lyss, just waiting for Bianca to get here then I'm good to go," she called over her shoulder._

_Alyssa nodded with a shrug and picked at her nails. "That's fine," she smiled. "I don't mind waiting," she smiled back and leant against the counter. She spotted a few deserted mugs on a table and went to collect them for Rowan._

_Rowan got the food ready and brought it out to them. She put the checks on the table and glanced at Ray before she went back to the counter. _

_She waved at Bianca when Bianca arrived and looked at Alyssa and rubbed her hands. _

_"Shall we go?"_

_She bounded outside and waved at Charlie as he pulled up and got in the cab. _

_/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\_

_Ronnie answered Gene and Alex's questions as best she could and suggested it might not be a bad idea to also talk to Max, Bradley was his son after all, and he might know something. _

_"But look, I have to go see Aunty Peg now and then have a conversation with someone."_

_She put her money down for her food, got up and gave Alex a quick hug and left. _

_/\\/\\/\\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\_

_As they arrived back on the Square, Rowan sent off a quick text to let Bianca know they were nearly there. They could get things put away and Rowan thought she might have a bite to eat. She was starting to feel peckish and after all that shopping, she reckoned Alyssa was, too._

_Alyssa scrambled out of Charlie's cab. She paid him and helped Rowan out. She looked at the floor of the cab and the items they had purchased._

_Raising her eyebrows at Rowan, she began to unload the cab and placed their purchases onto the pavement. Rowan nodded at Bianca as she came out to help._

_Bianca took several bags from them and gave a nod at Charlie who had opened the Cafe door for them._

_Rowan draped the costume they'd found over Alyssa's head and grabbed the final few bags._

_Alyssa squealed and de-tangled herself careful not to crease the costume and shot her a quick smile. She picked up the costume and followed the others into the café. She hung the costume up on the door frame and looked at the piles of bags around them._

_Rowan carried the bags to the back and gestured Bianca to put the ones she had down in back as well. Rowan then began to rummage and organized the ingredients out on a table in the back._

_She came up to the counter and nodded at the dress._

_"You sure you're going to be okay wearing that? It weighs a ton," Rowan chuckled._

_Alyssa fingered the dress lovingly._

_"I'll be fine. This is going to be sooo much fun!" she exclaimed excitedly._

_She tore her gaze away from the garment._

_"Need a hand?"_

_"Yea, actually, I think some things we can prep tonight a bit. It's only nearly 7:00 now so probably should stay open at least another hour. Do you want something to eat? I'm starved," she commented and began to quickly assemble a chicken salad._

_Alyssa moved to the bags and carried on unpacking the ingredients that they had bought. "No. I'm not very hungry at the moment."_

_While Alyssa emptied the last bag, Rowan thanked Bianca for covering while she was gone. She slipped her a tenner for her trouble._

_Bianca helped them put some of the things away, thanked Rowan and left._

_"So," Rowan began, looking at everything all laid out. She pulled out the cutting boards and handed her potatoes. "I guess we get chopping," she said to Alyssa with a grin as she finished putting things away._

_Alyssa took the utensils off Rowan and set herself up._

_She took a pile of potatoes and stacked them ambitiously in front if her._

_"Ready? Steady? Cook!" she announced more to herself than anyone else._

_Rowan snorted laughter at Alyssa's comment as she began to scrub her own pile of potatoes and began to peel. "Ainsley Harriot I'm not," Rowan joked back. "However, am also not Gordon Ramsay, so bonus," she said and tossed a potato peel at Alyssa._

_Alyssa let out a chuckle._

_"Give me Jamie Oliver any day!" she answered, raising her eyebrows suggestively. She yelped as a peel hit her._

_"Oh no you didn't!"_

_Rowan grinned._

_"Oh, yes, I think I did," she answered back tartly and lobbed another peel at Alyssa._

_"Right!" Alyssa stated._

_In an act of retaliation she picked up her growing pile of peelings and casually placed them on Rowan's head and then brushing her hands together to remove the moist residue, she went back to her potatoes._

_"No way you just did that," Rowan said, mock-glaring at Alyssa and propping her hands on her hips. Her lips twisted and she scooped up the peelings and made as if to put them in the bin. Instead, she shoved them down the back of Alyssa's shirt._

_"Back to work then," Rowan trilled._

_Alyssa screamed at the horrible feel of the moist peelings against her back._

_She writhed trying to get them all out. One by one the fell onto the floor behind her as she stood there like a loony dancing and hopping to shift them all out._

_Ray finally reached the Café and pushed open the door, he had been wanting to see Rowan since he had left her, he had no idea that he could crave the company of one person so much. He shrugged, he could deal with it. He shut the door behind him and frowned at Alyssa as he watched her dancing for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak then shut it again as he spotted the small scattering of peel around her feet._

_Alyssa sighed in relief as the last one fell out of her top. She blushed as she spotted Ray standing with a small smile on his face, but brushed it off, this meant war!_

_She turned to Rowan her eyes flashing._

_"You went there," she said dangerously._

_Rowan gape-grinned at Alyssa and hissed out a Muttley laugh._

_"Let's just keep the mess to a minimum though, yea?" she suggested. "We've all this stuff I can't replace," and she armed herself with another handful of peelings._

_Alyssa caught her actions out of the corner of her eye and reached for her own pile. _

_Rowan's gaze strayed to Ray. She had missed him. She couldn't believe how much._

_Alyssa grabbed two massive handfuls of potato peelings and launched one straight into Rowan's face._

_Ray chuckled at the pair of them and went to sit a little way away where he could watch Rowan, but be out of the firing range, he didn't really want to get hit by slimy potato peelings._

_Rowan shrieked at Alyssa attacking when she was distracted and copied Alyssa's action and began lobbing her own peelings at Alyssa._

_Alyssa squealed as peelings hit her. She threw back as hard as she could, aiming for Rowan's face every time._

_She only hoped Rowan would run out first._

_Rowan was shrieking with laughter, snatching up the peelings Alyssa was throwing at her for ammunition._

_Alyssa ducked and hid under the counter._

_Rowan's shrieks were making her incoherent and Alyssa's sides hurt from her giggles._

_They would never get finished._

_Rowan gasped for breath and held her hands up in surrender, dropping the peelings she was holding as she did so. Her sides ached and she was worried about the mess but she couldn't remember when she'd had so much fun._

_"Truce," she gasped._

_Alyssa emerged clutching her sides and picking potato out of her hair._

_"Agreed," she replied._

_She surveyed the floor with the mess of peeling littered around._

_Rowan leaned over, her hands on her thighs and still shaking with laughter. She looked at the mess of peelings on the floor and thought it could be worse._

_"I guess we better clean this up," she giggled._

_Alyssa nodded and withdrew a dustpan and brush._

_She knelt down and began to sweep up the peelings._

_Rowan quickly put some cleaner in a bucket and got a towel and began to scrub where Alyssa had swept. She peeked out behind the wall to see if anyone new had come into the café. No. At least a whole crowd had not seen the peeling fight, just Ray._

_She hurriedly finished cleaning and locked the door after putting the peeled and chopped potatoes in plastic containers and closing them. _

"_Well, that's done," she said and gave Alyssa a grin. "Should we go have a drink to celebrate?" She glanced around. "I'll just finish up here and meet you at the pub."_

_She grinned at Alyssa and gave her a quick squeeze and locked the door behind Alyssa as she left. She pulled off her apron and hung it up and flipped off the main lights inside before walking over to Ray and touched his shoulder. "Would you like to go to the pub with us?" she asked and leaned on the table and took his hand. _

_"But first, I think you owe me for some bangers and mash." She glanced over to double check the blinds were closed and then fastened her mouth on his as she slipped off her boots, then pulled off her jeans and knickers before reaching down and unfastening his trousers. _

_She grabbed the waist of his trousers and boxers and broke off the kiss a moment._

_"Lift up a bit," she whispered and then pulled his trousers and boxers to his knees when he did so. She smiled and pressed her lips to his again as she straddled his lap and lowered herself onto him. _

_She moaned into the kiss as his hardness filled her. _

_"I've been wanting that all day," she whispered and slid her arms around him and grabbed the back of the chair and began to ride him. _

_Ray's hands flew to her waist and held her there as he caught her lips again. Something about this woman, he wasn't sure what, but something, drove him wild with lust. He lifted her up and then pulled her onto him, hard. He groaned into her mouth as he thrust upwards and into her repeatedly._

_Rowan flung her head back and cried out Ray's name as he pushed her over the edge. She couldn't believe how much she wanted this man._

_Ray rested his head on her shoulder as he got his breath back. Good God! This woman was incredible. He kissed her neck and looked up at her as he hugged her to his chest. "That was unexpected, but amazing nevertheless," he grinned up at her._

_She wrapped her arms around him as he hugged her tight._

_"Is my payment accepted?" he inquired as he lifted her off his lap, set her back on the floor, and pulled up his trousers._

_She chuckled and grabbed up her clothes and pulled them back on. She stomped her feet into the boots and smiled at him._

"_I find I can't resist you," she told him and slipped her arms around his waist. "I think we're even for now. Why don't you buy me a drink and we can discuss it at length?" she suggested and led him out of the café._

_Ray chuckled and followed her out of the Cafe. He slid an arm around her waist and walked along next to her as they made their way to the Pub._

_He held the door for her to go inside and then followed her inside. He leant on the bar and got Tracey's attention and ordered himself a pint. He looked at Rowan and raised his eyebrows at her, gesturing towards Tracey encouraging her to order with a grin…._


	19. Chapter 19

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 19**

Ffion woke up in Bradley's bed and sighed. She looked at the clock, wouldn't be long now till this was all over.

Bradley tapped on the door and opened it.

"I've got tea if you want some."

Ffion nodded and got out of bed. "Thank you, Bradley," she said and followed him into the kitchen. She leaned against the counter and sipped from the mug he handed her.

"It's all finished today," she told him.

/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\

Chris got up early and stopped at the hospital to see Rowan. She looked rough and exhausted.

"They gave me a sedative to make me sleep, but the dream I had, oh Chris, it was so real! I can't..." she sighed. "I'm so tired. It's like I didn't even sleep. I don't know what to do."

Chris took her hand.

"Do you want me to stay all day? Do you think it would help if I was here while you slept?"

Rowan shook her head. "No, the one I had yesterday was while Ray was here. I don't think it will help."

Chris leaned over and kissed her.

"JT and Syed are opening the restaurant. Um, are you going to advertise for a new waitress? Surely James can't cope on his own."

"Suppose I'll have to," Rowan sighed.

"I better get to work. But I'll come over at lunch and after work."

Rowan nodded.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Gerald rolled over and checked his clock. He had to meet Ffion at the Cafe soon. He pulled himself off the bed and set about getting dressed and ready.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Caroline woke with a bitter expression. Was there ever any peace in this dump? All night long she had been at the mercy of the sounds of the cars outside and had got very little sleep. She sat up and glared at the window. She was in a foul mood due to her lack of sleep.

Caroline got up and checked the time. She wasn't eating the grotty food they served here, not after last time. She would go to that cafe again. It seemed like a central point for gossip and socialising. Someone would know something. She went to the small bathroom to prepare herself.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Ffion went to the hospital for her second appointment. She sat and stared at the wall a few minutes when it was finished.

She wished she'd asked Bradley to come with her or maybe even Shaz. She stood up and headed for the cafe.

She spoke briefly to Jane when she got there. Jane folded her arms but finally reluctantly agreed to let Ffion have the cafe for an hour.

"I've got to go to the bank anyway. Just keep the door locked and make sure you stay here until I get back," Jane told her.

Ffion nodded. "I'll make sure it's fine," Ffion promised.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Chris left the station after getting the Guv to let him have a longer lunch. He had to find out what Ffion was going to say and he had to go and see Rowan in the hospital. He was worried about her. She'd looked so pale and drawn that morning.

Chris' mind went back again to when he'd been in the car and thought he'd been with Shaz. He felt a jolt when he saw her walking to the cafe as well. Of course, Ffion would want someone there on her side.

He gave her a quick wave and went inside and nodded at Ffion before he sat down.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Ronnie woke the next morning and sighed happily. Last night had been so wonderfully romantic! She pressed a kiss to Ray's shoulder and got out of bed and pulled on her dressing gown.

She folded her arms across her chest as she watched the kettle and frowned as the memory of the strange thoughts of Jack came back into her mind.

She dropped the teabags into the mugs and sighed. She must just be nervous. He was going to be here to sign the papers today and she was worried he might change his mind. That had to be it!

She nodded at her idea and poured the hot water. She fixed Ray's tea how he liked it and carried their mugs into the bedroom. She put Ray's on the bedside table and then sat down on her side of the bed and got under the covers again. She picked up her mug and the baby book she'd been reading and glanced at Ray before starting to read.

Ray grumbled to himself as he felt the warmth of another person leave him. He grunted and pulled the covers around him more tightly to compensate for the lack of heat.

He was anxious, in his dreams had been a mix of both Ronnie and Rowan, a tall, beautiful blond woman morphing into a small pretty blond woman and back again. It had been extremely disturbing. He rubbed a hand over his face. Just a dream.

Ray opened his eyes after a moment of Ronnie being back in bed and raised his eyebrows at the cover of the book. He sighed and slung his arm over her tummy and buried into her side, inhaling her as he did so. He smiled against her and kissed her side lightly as he hugged her to him and drifted again.

Ronnie smiled as Ray cuddled up to her. Normally she was the one cuddling up to him. She held back a chuckle and draped her arm over him, propping the book against her legs so she could use her other hand to turn the pages.

Ronnie looked at the clock and furrowed her brow. Was it actually his day off today? She craned to look at the clock but couldn't tell if his alarm was set. He'd not said yesterday when she'd asked him to be with her when she met with Jack to sign the papers.

She looked down at him. She hated to wake him when he looked so peaceful, but if she didn't, he would be late. She gently rubbed his arm through the covers and whispered in his ear.

"Ray, is today your day off?" she asked him softly.

Ray opened one eye lazily and looked up at her, "Yes," he mumbled and shut his eyes again, slipping his arms around her and pulling her closer to his face. "I hope you don't plan on getting up any time soon Ron, because you're not moving," he murmured as his eyes closed again.

Ronnie chuckled at his response.

"You'll move quick enough if I need the loo," she warned him and picked up her tea as she turned her attention back to her book. She settled against the pillow behind her and glanced down at him again. She reached and got her phone and took a picture of him the hurriedly hit the button to answer the phone as it started to ring.

"Hello?" she answered softly. "Oh, yes, Jack. Yes, I have everything ready. I've got a witness and a notary coming and so getting the papers filed will be pretty quick. Yes, the club is fine. Right, 4:00. See you then. Bye.'

She closed her phone and put it back on the table after taking a quick look at the picture she'd taken of Ray.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Hunger finally drove Ronnie from bed an hour later. It was after noon anyway and she was going to have to get ready to meet Jack. She wanted to check over the paperwork one last time. She carefully edged out of Ray's grip and ran for the bathroom. She sighed as she barely made it then slipped out of her pajamas and climbed into the shower.

Ray opened his eyes blearily and hugged the empty air. His arms ached to hold someone. Someone blond. He wasn't sure if it was Ronnie or Rowan he wanted. Blond though. A blond woman. He stumbled out of bed and smiled at the sound of the shower. He would take his chances.

Ray pulled off the little amount of clothing he was wearing and padded into the bathroom. His arms slid around Ronnie's waist as he pressed himself into her and nuzzled at her neck. Two in the shower at once, save money on water and be with the woman he loved. Win-win situation in his book.

Ronnie jumped, startled at Ray behind her. She put her hands on his and leaned against him.

"Hello, sleepyhead," she greeted him. She turned around in his arms and kissed him then raised her eyebrow at him.

"We really shouldn't get up to anything in here," she told him. "I don't want to slip and fall. However, once we get out of the shower..." she trailed off and then grabbed the shampoo and started washing his hair.

Ray smiled at Ronnie and slid his hands down her body. He closed his eyes as she set about washing his hair, and fought hard not to have his wicked way with her right there. He smiled as he watched her walk away and hurriedly finished having his shower. He switched off the flow of hot water and rubbed himself down with a towel.

Ray walked back into the bedroom and felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of her. He went towards the bed and stood for a moment looking at her. He bent over her form and climbed on top of her. He brushed her damp hair from her face.

"Do you know how beautiful you are, Ronnie," he whispered to her as he looked down at her lying beneath him.

Ronnie wound her arms around Ray's neck and smiled.

"No, but you could tell me again," she replied and pulled him down for a kiss.

Ray smiled down at her and slid his hands down her body. "You're beautiful, Ron," he said as he dipped his head and kissed her thoroughly. "Absolutely gorgeous," he smiled at her and moved his lips from hers to kiss her neck.

Ronnie sighed happily and slipped her arms around him.

"I love you, Ray," she breathed and closed her eyes and enjoyed his attentions.

Ray's only answer was a gentle growl as he continued his attentions on her neck before moving lower and worshipping every inch of her.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Gerald drained his mug of tea and checked the time. He had to go. Alyssa and Jack still weren't up. He chuckled and left the house, shutting the door quietly behind him.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Caroline politely declined the offer of breakfast from the woman at the front desk and walked out of the B&B briskly. She glanced up and down the road briefly before making her way towards the Cafe. She narrowed her eyes as she saw him. There, heading towards the market. He was moving slowly, almost plodding along. She quickened her pace and easily caught up with him. Caroline reached out and took hold of his wrist causing him to look around at her. She half smiled at the shock on his face.

Gerald swallowed nervously at the sight of his wife. This was not a good time for her to show up. Now? When he was about to find out whether it was him or Chris who was the father! He schooled his expression into a small smile. "Caroline!" he exclaimed. "What a...lovely surprise."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Gerald," she responded coolly, looking him up and down, he had lost weight. "Are you planning on coming home any time soon?" she asked as calmly as she could manage.

Gerald glanced in the direction of Alyssa and Jack's house. Home? No. He still belonged with his wife. He looked back at Caroline and nodded. "Soon, Caroline. Very soon."

She pursed her lips together, pushing him wouldn't help. He would only stay here longer. "How soon?" she demanded.

"Soon Caroline, I promise," he smiled and kissed her forehead, his gaze went to the house again and he frowned. "I have to be back in the summer though."

She furrowed her brow. "Why!" she snapped.

He smiled dreamily down at her. "Our little girl is getting married," he told her. "I have the privilege of walking her down the aisle."

She narrowed her eyes at him and folded her arms. "I don't have a daughter," she informed him and he frowned.

"Caroline! That's not fair."

She shrugged at him. "I don't have a daughter," she repeated casually earning a sigh from Gerald. He knew well enough that nothing he said would change her mind. He checked the time and grimaced.

"I've got to go. I'm late," he told her and kissed her again, her arms flew around his back and hugged him tightly. He grinned. "Jesus Caroline! If I'd known that leaving home for a few months would provoke affection from you, I'd have done it years ago," he chuckled but hugged her back. She let go and raised her eyebrows at him. "What are you late for?"

Gerald shook his head. "A meeting," he said. "I really have to go. Keep your phone on," he smirked as he hurried off towards the café and left her in the street.

Gerald hurried into the café and nodded at Chris and Ffion as he took a seat anxiously. He was feeling extremely apprehensive, especially knowing that Caroline had seen him go into the café. The door had been locked behind him but still. She wasn't very far away. He gulped.

Caroline frowned as Gerald went into the café. Meeting? There? She walked slowly towards it and peeked in the window. Gerald, that man that they had seen last time. The one that had threatened them. And a young girl. She pursed her lips as she watched through the gap under the blinds.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Ffion looked at both of them nervously.

"I want to tell both of you that you have nothing to worry about. I don't want to cause problems so I've taken care of the situation. I can't hurt you and Rowan," she said to Chris, "not when she's been so good to me. I'm sorry about what happened. I should mention that I've cut back quite a bit on my drinking and don't really go out clubbing anymore."

She sighed and looked at both of them. "I suppose I could have told you over the phone, but I think it should be said face to face. I've just come back from hospital, I had a termination. Now there won't be any problems for either of you."

She looked at Chris. "Rowan won't have to worry about you," she looked at Gerald, "and you're off the hook as well."

She swiped at the tear that slipped down her cheek. "I did love you, but you've made it clear that those feelings aren't returned. So, anyway, problem solved. You should go now; I know you need to see Rowan in hospital. I hope she'll forgive me one day."

Chris nodded. "She forgave me, she just might. She has a very great heart," Chris told her and patted her on the shoulder. "Thank you, Ffion."

Ffion nodded and walked with Chris to the door to let him out and locked it behind him. She looked over at Gerald.

"I'm sure you have things to do as well. I…I don't want to see you anymore," she told him.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Chris nearly ran to the hospital to talk to Rowan. He knew he shouldn't be happy about what Ffion did, but it did solve a lot of problems.

Rowan was eating when he got there. She still looked pale and drawn. He'd never seen her look so drained.

She barely smiled at him when he came in the room and dropped her head as if she was too tired to hold it up. Chris folded her in his arms. His news could wait.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

A fresh bout of coughing pulled Jack from his sleep. He looked at the clock and moaned and barely grabbed a tissue in time to sneeze into it. He picked up the glass of water he'd put on the table and drained it before dropping his aching head back to the pillow and drifting off again.

Alyssa waited until Jack drifted off again before she silently got out of bed. She grabbed down the medicine box and frowned. No lemsip, no flu capsules, no cold remedies at all! She frowned and hurried back upstairs. She dressed quickly and ran a brush through her hair. She smiled at the sleeping man before leaving the room silently and departed their house to get some medicine from the shop for him.

Alyssa stopped dead at the sight of her mother in the middle of the street hammering on the Cafe door. She gulped and lifted her chin defiantly as she watched, the door opened and Alyssa smiled as she heard Fee say something that left her mother looking outraged. She smiled and ducked into the Minute Mart to get some pills and lemsip for Jack.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Caroline watched the younger man get up and leave the café. She smiled, the door was open. She tried the handle and frowned angrily, someone had locked it again. She rapped impatiently on the door.

Gerald watched Chris leave and nodded at Ffion with a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Ffion," he said softly as he stood. "You won't have to worry about bumping into me, I bumped into Caroline today. Seems I'm going back up to Brum," he informed her. He looked sadly at her middle. "I'm sorry you felt you had to lose your baby," he told her as he tucked his chair back under the table and looked up at the person that was persistently tapping the window, the taps getting harder and louder.

Ffion grabbed at his hand.

"I didn't want to at first, but I didn't really have a choice once I realized you didn't feel the same. I can't be a mum, I can't even take care of myself," she said softly. She frowned at the tapping on the window and yanked open the door. She glared at the woman standing there.

"Can you not read? The sign says closed! This is a private meeting and it will be done soon enough and when the owner comes back she'll reopen the café," Ffion snapped and slammed the door and flipped the lock. She turned back to Gerald.

"Do you really not have any feelings for me at all?" she asked him, unable to decide if she wanted to hear a yes or no.

Caroline's eyes widened in anger as the door swung open and then shut. She pursed her lips and resumed her banging on the glass.

Gerald looked at her and sighed. "I'm fond of you, Ffion," he told her and raised his eyebrows as the tapping started up again. He patted her shoulder as he passed her to tell the person to leave them alone for a while, and shut his mouth once he saw it was Caroline. His wife smiled up at him and pushed her way inside.

"_Thank you,_ Gerald!" she said in exasperation and narrowed her eyes at Ffion as she looked her up and down properly, her gaze went back to Gerald. "Care to introduce me to your little friend," she smiled sweetly at him.

Gerald swallowed and nodded silently at her. "Caroline, this is Ffion, Ffion this is my wife, Caroline," he said trying to stay in control and not let his anxiety run away with him.

Caroline gave Ffion a forced smile and then turned back to Gerald with a small frown. "Where are you staying, I can go and pack your things for you," she half-offered, half-demanded. Gerald studied her for a moment. "I'm staying with Alyssa."

Caroline's expression darkened momentarily but she remedied it immediately. "And where does _she_ live?" she asked.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Rowan let Chris hold her, but the dream was so strong in her mind she had to bite her tongue to ask him why he wasn't with Shaz. She got herself under control and pushed her desperate yearning for Ray aside and looked at Chris.

"So, what did Ffion have to say?" she asked him quietly.

"She's had a termination so…" he trailed off. "She hopes you can forgive her someday."

Rowan put her head down. "I'll try. I know she didn't set out to get you."

She sighed. "I'm still so tired."

"Try to take a nap," he suggested softly.

"Not sure I can. I'm afraid to dream," she told him. He held her tight, at a loss what to say.

"I have to go back to work now, love, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I think Alyssa will be here soon. She called and said Jack is sick but whether she is staying home or not, I don't know."

Chris kissed her softly.

"I'll come back straight after," he told her and she nodded and flopped back onto the pillows after he left.

Rowan sat in her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. She was so tired, but she had to stay awake!

Her head dipped again and her forehead rested against her knees as her eyes slowly closed…..

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Keats sat in his office at Fenchurch, lit another cigarette and smiled.

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\_

_Rowan let herself sleep in a bit Friday morning. Last night with Ray had been amazing again and she decided she liked waking up in his arms. She felt so safe and protected with him wrapped around her. _

_She'd enjoyed sitting with him and Alyssa at the pub and chatting, even if he mostly stared at her instead of talking. Gene and Alex had joined them shortly after and then Gene took Ray to play darts. _

_Tonight was the big grand opening buffet. She yawned and kissed him awake._

"_I have to get the café open and I think you have to go to work, too," she whispered. "I'm going for a shower, best we don't share or we'll never get out of here," she teased. "I'll feed you at the café," she promised and kissed him again before slipping from his arms to get ready._

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\_

_While Ray was in the shower, she made coffee and fixed Ray a cup of tea and rapped on Alyssa's door._

"_Coffee at 6:45," she announced and handed Ray his tea when he emerged from the bathroom. _

_Ray took the mug from her and kissed her cheek. "Cheers," he smiled and wandered through to the kitchen whilst sipping it. He settled himself against the counter in the kitchen and looked her up and down. "D'you need help carrying bags and the like today?" he questioned as he took another gulp of tea._

_This was crazy, he had known the woman a couple of days and he was offering to help her do things? What the hell was happening to him? Ray Carling didn't ask for things or offer to help women he hardly knew; no matter how much he wanted them. He smiled at her over the rim of his mug, he found he didn't really care what Ray Carling did or didn't do. _

"_I appreciate the offer, but I didn't bake today. I've got the big opening tonight and I'll be doing most of the cooking at the café today when I close up to get ready."_

_She leaned against him, settling her head against his chest and sighed. "I hope you'll be there tonight. I'll be serving cooking up food from the Southern US, stuff I grew up with," she told him. _

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\_

_Jack normally ate at home but today he was in the mood for a good big breakfast. He drove towards the café and parked nearby. He would have plenty of time to eat before he had to be at school. _

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\_

_Alyssa rolled herself out of bed and grabbed the mug from outside her door, she yawned and drained the scalding liquid quickly. She dumped the mug in the sink with a smile at Rowan and Ray and then ran for the shower._

_Rowan gave a brief wave to Alyssa as she flew past and looked up at Ray._

"_I'd like you to be there," she told him, slightly surprised by how important it was to her that he show up. She settled against him again and smiled. _

_Ray nodded and smirked as his arms snuck around her and held her to him. "I'd rather go then miss out on your cooking," he smiled down at her and kissed her forehead. "What time?" he inquired curiously._

"_Mmmmm, around six," she replied. _

_Alyssa showered quickly and frowned, there was hardly any time for breakfast, unless..._

_She dressed and walked back into the kitchen "Rowan, can I steal some of your food and take it to the car lot for breakfast?" she pleaded and checked her watch. "It will cover me being late," she begged with a smile._

_Rowan straightened up as Alyssa came into the kitchen. "Sure, just leaving now. I'll even make breakfast for Max and Darren that way they can't yell at you, consider it a bribe for Max letting you leave early to help me tonight," she grinned. She laced her fingers through Ray's and pulled him towards the door and out of the flat._

_She wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned against him as they walked to the café, chatting animatedly with Alyssa as they went. _

_She quickly let them into the café, got things started and made sure the "open" sign was showing before getting her cooking pans ready. She looked at them._

"_So, what am I making? Full English?"_

"_I'll have one if you're making," Jack called in reply as he walked in the door. "Tea and all, too, if you don't mind." _

_Rowan turned to look at him and then looked at Alyssa. _

"_Lyss, can you come back here and get tea for Ray and one for this gentleman as well?" Rowan asked her and began cracking eggs and grabbing out bacon and sausages. _

_Jack looked at the stunning redhead he was standing behind and admired her as she walked behind the counter. _

_Ray shifted out of the way for the other man, but kept Rowan in his eyeline. He really could just sit and watch her all day and never get bored. He grinned at her whenever he caught her eye and started to pull stupid faces at her, too._

_"Sure," Alyssa smiled at the man and turned to make both him and Ray a cup of tea. She turned around and handed out one to Ray and then moved her attention to the new man. She smiled at him as she handed him the cup. "That's £4 for the breakfast and 90p for the tea please," she told him. She took the money from him and surreptitiously looked him up and down. She licked her lips as she put the money into the till and gave him the 10p change from the fiver. How was it that Rowan got to meet hot guys every day and she was stuck with Max and Darren?_

"_Thank you," Jack said to Alyssa as she handed him his tea. He gladly handed over the money and let his fingers brush hers as he took his change. _

_Alyssa fought a blush as she felt his fingers brush hers and countered it with a dazzling smile. "You're more than welcome," she told him._

_Rowan giggled at Ray's faces and tried to pay attention to her cooking. It would never do to burn the food. Rowan finished the one breakfast and slid it onto a plate._

"_Lyss, food up," she said and handed the plate to Alyssa and pointed at the man at the counter. "How are you, Mr. Rimmer?" she asked. She remembered him coming in the café a couple times on her first day to get cakes and things for a teacher's meeting. She'd found him very nice and very funny. From the look on Alyssa's face, she was hooked._

"_I'm fine Rowan, how are you?" _

_She glanced at Ray and smiled then looked back at Jack._

"_I'm fantastic," she replied. "Oh, this is my flatmate, Alyssa," she introduced and started cooking Ray's food, trying not to watch him too much. He really was something else with those eyes and that smile. And he liked her cooking. She plated up his food when it was ready and handed him the plate, brushing her fingers against his as she did so. She realized that was a mistake as the jolt of lust hit her and made her grab the counter. She looked down as if she'd simply tripped and edged over to Alyssa._

_Alyssa whirled around and took the plate from Rowan then moved over to Jack and slid it onto the table in front of him. She took his hand and smiled. "Lovely to meet you, Jack," she grinned as she released his hand. "D'you often eat in here?" she questioned curiously._

_"That depends, will you be in here everyday?" he asked and took a drink of his tea as he watched her. She was beautiful! He couldn't look away from her big, green eyes. He saw Rowan behind the counter and grinned at Alyssa.__When Alyssa finally came back, Rowan asked what Max and Darren might want and began to cook. __She hid a smile as she saw Jack eating and watching Alyssa, waiting patiently for her to come back over and talk to him._

"I think your friend wants you, but I hope you'll come back over and talk to me some more," he said.

_Alyssa smiled at Jack and nodded as she turned and went back to the counter. She beamed at Rowan and reeled off the foods that she knew Max and Darren liked and threw in her order too. She looked over her shoulder at Jack and caught him watching her. She bit her lip to hold back the smile as she turned to Rowan! He was gorgeous!_

_"Do you reckon I could have a job here!" she grinned. "It would be worth it just to talk to guys like him every day" she chuckled and looked back over at Jack again. _

_Rowan chuckled. "I'd love you to work here all the time, but come on, you are way too posh," Rowan said imitating Alyssa's accent, "to work here. You should talk to Roxy about working at the salon. I heard Amira and Gayna complaining when they were in her for tea and treats yesterday that Chelsea is doing a horrible job. You've got a good business head, look how you fixed my stuff for this place. You could run that place, no trouble."_

Rowan gave Alyssa a small gesture to go talk to Jack while she finished cooking the food.

_Alyssa smiled at him and then looked back at Rowan one final time before going back over to Jack._

_"It seems I have some time to kill before my order is ready," she smiled at him as she took the seat opposite._

Jack smiled at her. "Best news I've had all day," he told her and pushed aside his plate to lean on the table and talk to her...

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\_

Alyssa waited in the queue impatiently, how was it that half of Walford was in the shop? She had a brainwave and pulled out her phone to call Jacks receptionist and tell her that Jack wouldn't be in today as he was ill. She sent off a text to Gayna also, telling her not to expect Alyssa at work again today.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Jane walked up to the café, chatting idly with Max as he walked with her and they both stopped short at the scene going on outside the café. Jane looked at Tamwar who glanced at Jane and shrugged.

Ffion didn't even bother to smile back at Caroline. She folded her arms and fumed at this frigid bat's overly sweet way of speaking. Her knuckles went white as she gripped her arms to keep from smacking the smug smile from the woman's face.

"He's not a child, he can do for himself," Ffion snarled and added something insulting in Welsh as she glared at the woman. She hadn't meant to say anything, but the vile temper she inherited from her family spilled over and burst from her mouth before she could stop it.

Caroline raised her eyebrows at Ffion and narrowed her eyes at her. "I know perfectly well that my husband isn't a child! Thank you very much," she snapped back and looked her up and down. "Who are you supposed to be anyway?" she asked waspishly.

Gerald sighed and ran a hand over his head, Caroline would blow her top in a moment, he could sense it. He stood his ground and watched the two women warily.

"Your husband, don't make me laugh," Ffion huffed. "He might as well be invisible the way you treat him. It's a shame too, because you are missing out," Ffion added and her lips twisted into a poisonous smile as she stepped in front of Gerald and pressed her back against him. "He really is sooo amazing in bed," Ffion told Caroline smugly.

Caroline's eyes narrowed to slits and she shot daggers at the pair of them, Gerald had frozen. He knew that look; Ffion had gone and done it. He placed his hands on her shoulders to move her away but immediately regretted touching her, Caroline's eyes fixed on his hands and a murderous expression plastered itself across her face.

"You little whore!" she yelled and started towards Ffion, she grabbed a handful of the girl's hair and pulled it hard as she pushed Ffion to the ground.

"HOW DARE YOU!" she shrieked at the girl as she glowered down at her. "Who the Hell do you think you are!"

Gerald tried to pull his wife away but backed away as Caroline whirled around to face him and started towards him. "AND YOU!" she hissed at him. "You cheating bastard!" she said and slapped him hard around the face. Caroline glared angrily down at Ffion and stalked away before she cried.

Gerald rubbed his face, she could hit bloody hard. He held out his hand to Ffion to help her up off the ground.

Caroline bumped into somebody and felt them freeze, she looked up to apologize and then found herself staring at her daughter. Alyssa gripped her bag tightly and looked at her mother.

"Mum," she said cautiously and furrowed her brow, "are you crying?" she asked as she peered at her mother's face.

Caroline stood tall and quickly schooled her features. "Don't be ridiculous!" she replied sharply and moved around her.

"If you don't mind, I've got places to be," she said.

Alyssa reached out and grabbed Caroline's hand "Mum!" she said in exasperation. "Please! Just...stop!"

Caroline turned and faced her daughter with raised eyebrows "What? What do you want?" she asked icily.

Alyssa recoiled. "Mum, I just want to help," she said meekly. "Please."

Caroline studied her daughter for a moment and then reluctantly nodded. "Fine."

Alyssa smiled in relief and led her mother to her home wondering if this was a good idea.

"What do you expect, it's not like you give him any attention at all!" Ffion shrieked as waved away Gerald's hand and stood. "Frigid cow!"

Ffion was furious. No one hit her and got away with it. She pushed past Gerald and stalked off down the sidewalk.

Jane looked at Max and they both glanced at Ffion and then at Gerald before going into the café.

Gerald watched her go with a small sigh. He looked down at his watch and then glanced over at the house in time to see a redhead and a blond that he recognised as his wife and daughter going into the house.

He gulped. The bookies then. He would seek refuge there.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Ffion stormed around the Square, she saw the car parked in front of the B&B. She looked it over and peered in the window. It had to belong to that woman. That horrible woman who tossed poor Gerald aside then had the nerve to be angry when he looked for affection elsewhere. Ffion's eyes narrowed and she dug into her bag and pulled out her little utility knife. She pulled out the corkscrew first, then thought better of it and pulled out the blade. She made sure no one was around and quickly punctured two of the tires.

She smiled and walked away, feeling much better, and went to see Bradley and have him take her to lunch.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Jack stumbled from bed and wrapped himself in his dressing gown and staggered downstairs.

"Alyssa?" he croaked and coughed. He could have sworn she was here. He went into the kitchen and switched on the kettle to make tea. At least he'd waited until after Valentines Day to get sick, he reasoned. He sighed and hoped she didn't get sick, too.

Alyssa opened the front door and pressed a finger to her lips in warning. "Jack's asleep," she whispered as she stood aside to let Caroline inside. She shut the door, slipped off her coat and shoes and then took her small plastic bag full of remedies to the kitchen.

She looked up in surprise at Jack.

"Jack? What are you doing? You should be in bed," she scolded as she glanced at the kettle then pulled put the small box with the sachets of lemsip powder.

She emptied a sachet into his mug and filled it with hot water then handed it to him.

"Drink this," she told him then put the other medication she had bought on top of the fridge. Caroline stood in the doorway to the kitchen and folded her arms in amusement as she watched her daughter. Alyssa looked up at Caroline and made her a mug of tea. Caroline took it from her and remained in the doorway.

"Thanks, love," Jack whispered and sipped at it gratefully.

Alyssa moved her attention back to Jack and placed a hand on his forehead. "You don't have much of a temperature," she told him. "How do you feel?" she asked as she withdrew her hand.

Jack glanced at Alyssa's mother and looked at Alyssa questioningly as she put her hand to his forehead.

"Tired and generally crap," he replied and took another drink. "I'm going back to bed," he sighed and put a hand to the side of her head.

"Kiss," he said and turned to head up the stairs.

Alyssa smiled at his retreating figure and then chewed her lip. He hadn't eaten yet. Surely he was hungry? She sighed and got herself some food. "So, are you going to tell me why you were about to burst into tears?" she asked.

Caroline gave her a look of disbelief. "I think you're imagining things," she replied smoothly.

Alyssa sighed. "I'll take that as a no, then," she muttered to herself as she sat down with her toast.

Caroline drained the tea from the mug and left it on the counter. "I best be off. Things to do," she said vaguely and left the house.

Alyssa shook her head and munched the rest of her toast. Then opened a box of pills and got a glass of water. She carried them both upstairs and placed them on Jack's bedside table. "Don't take them until 1pm," she told him as she smoothed the hair back from his forehead and smiled down at him.

"I'm going to go and see, Ro. I'll have my phone if you need me," she told him and ran her finger down his nose before grabbing her boots and whipping out her phone to call Charlie.

Jack barely registered Alyssa leaving.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Caroline walked briskly back to the B&B and packed her things up. He had cheated on her! With that girl. And she was WELSH! Caroline was fuming as she forcefully pulled the zip on her bag until it closed. She picked it up and went back downstairs. She paid the man at the desk hastily and threw her bag into the backseat of her car. She pulled off the kerb and frowned. This felt wrong.

Caroline got out of her car and inspected it. Her eyes flashed and her temper loomed. Some stupid idiot had slashed her tyres! No, some jumped up little whore! Her face darkened as she scoured the street and made her way back into the heart of Albert Square to find Ffion.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Ffion sat on the chair by Bradley and watched as he took calls and sent out the cab they had.

"Do you like doing this?" she asked him.

Bradley shrugged. "It's something to do."

"Would you rather be out driving?"

"Well, we could use another driver sure, but someone has to do this," he explained.

"Well, I don't think Rowan will forgive me enough to hire me back. If you hired me to do this, you could drive," she suggested.

"I suppose I could," he nodded. "I'll talk to dad."

"Thanks, Bradley, I'm...I really like you."

"I like you, too," he told her and gave her a swift kiss. "I could teach you now if you like."

Ffion nodded.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Alyssa made a quick stop at the café to pick up some decent food from Jane and then climbed into Charlie's cab as he took her to hospital to see Rowan.

Alyssa climbed out of the cab and hurried to Rowan's ward as quickly as she could. She grinned at the nurse she had met yesterday as she stepped inside Rowan's room and sat at the foot of her bed with the bag of food on her lap.

Alyssa placed the bag on the chair next to the bed and sat down next to Rowan.

"Did you hear? Ffion terminated the pregnancy. Chris was here earlier and told me."

She pulled her into a gentle hug. "I didn't know, no," she frowned. Her father had neglected to mention, not that she had seen him today.

"With Jack being ill, you in hospital and Mum turning up today, I haven't really had time to think about Ffion and Dad and Chris," she sighed as she let Rowan go and delved into the bag.

"Do you feel up to eating?" she asked with a smile as she handed the bag over.

"Your mom? Oh boy, are you okay?" Rowan asked and took the bag.

"I think I could eat," she mumbled and rummaged out the food Alyssa had brought her.

"So, what was she doing here?"

Alyssa shrugged. "She didn't say much. But she looked like she was going to cry. She didn't say what had happened but I think she might have found out about Fee and the baby," she sighed. "Not that she would talk to me. She had a cup of tea. Watched Jack when he came down and got a mug of Lemsip. Then left without saying anything."

"Oh, Lyss, I'm sorry. I thought she might have come to her senses," Rowan said and took Alyssa's hand. "Will your dad be going back with her or is he staying."

Alyssa squeezed Rowan's hand and shrugged. "No idea. I haven't seen him today," she sighed.

"Oh, dear, not good, Lyss," Rowan commiserated and shook her head. "Well, you can stay with me as long as you like to hide," she gave Alyssa a small smile. "But I also don't want to keep you from taking care of Jack. If he's like most men, he's a big baby when he's sick."

"Well, if he's sleeping then he's not complaining so count your blessings," Rowan told her. "I swear you'd have thought the world was ending when Chris had a cold. He actually told me he wanted me to write his obituary so he could read it before he died!" she snorted. "I'll be Jack didn't do that," she chuckled. "Though it would be like him."

She started eating her food and handed the bag to Alyssa so she could get something to eat.

"Thank you for the real food. I eat what they bring me or I get this look from the nurse, but ugh," she groaned.

Alyssa chuckled. "I'm just hoping it's a bad cold and not the flu. I called the school for him so hopefully they can sort something out," she shrugged. "I think he's too out of it to think about an obituary," she smiled. "I might forge one for him," she giggled.

"You're welcome; in my opinion hospital food is like plane food. It's nasty and you avoid it like the plague," she smiled. "I'll bring some more for you tomorrow if you like? Can't have you suffering," she grinned.

"It would be appreciated. I'm stuck in here for one more day. I hate it," she said miserably. "I want to go home. I don't seem to be able to bully this doctor like I did the last one."

She sighed.

Alyssa smiled sympathetically. "I'll be in to visit every day, Ro! Don't worry, okay. And try to keep yourself occupied," she offered and patted her hand.

"I'm out of here tomorrow; I'm not letting them keep me another day," she said in a tone of finality. "And I'm trying to keep myself occupied, but they just want me to sleep and I don't really want to."

Alyssa frowned. "They're just dreams Ro, they aren't real," she reassured her gently.

"Alyssa, it's frightening. They feel so real. I wake up confused because nothing I remember is right. Sometimes I'm afraid I won't wake up. I don't know what's happening. These dreams don't feel right, they're too real," she sighed. She was never going to get anyone to understand. She noted the sun getting lower outside and felt dread wash over her. Maybe she could talk Chris into staying with her tonight. Maybe if she wasn't alone, she would be okay.

She looked at Alyssa.

"It's getting late, you should get back to Jack before he freaks out," she chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

Alyssa furrowed her brow at Rowan. "Have you considered that the reason they are so vivid is because you're still not well and your body is trying to recover from having a bullet tearing through your shoulder?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

Alyssa stood and kissed Rowan's forehead lightly then hugged her. "You sure you'll be alright until Chris gets here?" she questioned as she grabbed up her handbag and checked her phone. Nothing from Jack. Good.

Alyssa grinned. "I gave him a mug of lemsip and set some flu tablets by his bed with a glass of water. He hasn't got too much of a temperature," she sighed.

"Sometimes he really needs to man up," she smiled. "He was falling asleep when I left. I don't think he noticed that I was going out."

"It's not just that Lyss, I've been injured with blood loss before remember? I've never experienced anything like this before," she shook her head.

"I'll be fine. Out of here tomorrow so that's something," she grinned and waved as she spotted Chris through the window.

Alyssa sighed and gave her a final squeeze. "It might be something psychological, like being in a hospital again triggering something in your head to give you these dreams," she shrugged and smiled. "It'll be fine Ro, don't worry and don't think about it too much."

She smiled at Chris as he came in and she stood up. "I'd better get home and tend to my desperately ill fiancé!" she chuckled and waved at them both as she left. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ro," she called over her shoulder as she left.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Ffion caught onto the equipment fairly easily. It wasn't really that hard. Bradley spoke to his dad about hiring Ffion. Max simply shrugged and told Bradley it was his business.

Bradley went back over to her and slipped his arms around her neck and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"You try it on your own now, I'm going to go and get us some food from the chippy to celebrate."

Ffion turned to look up at him and nodded.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Caroline roamed the streets keeping an eye out for Ffion.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Bradley got himself and Ffion and his dad fish and chips and brought them back to the car lot.

"Thanks, Bradley," she said gratefully and unwrapped her food. "I did three calls on my own," she informed him.

"Good," he remarked.

"When do you think you'll start driving?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "I suppose I could start after I'm finished eating if you like," he told her.

"Excellent," she chirped and turned back to her food.

"Is that Darren's food?" Ffion asked and pointed.

Bradley nodded. "He wasn't out there when I got back so he might have gone to see Jodie."

He got up and looked out the window. "He's back now."

"Okay, you finish, you'll be driving soon, I'll take it to him," she said and picked up the food and went outside. She carried the food over to Darren and nodded when he thanked her and headed back to the office.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Caroline sighed. No sign of that little Welsh bitch anywhere. She started to make her way back to her car and pulled out her phone to call her mechanic. She stopped dialling when she spotted Ffion talking to a young man outside the car lot and then watched her go inside. Caroline started over there with a face like thunder.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Ffion settled herself back down in front of the radio and picked at her chips. Bradley stood up and wiped his hands.

"Right, I'm finished. I'll be a driver now," he told her and she grinned and handed him a slip of paper.

"Your first customer, how lucky are you?" she teased and gave him a little wave before turning back to her chips and making notes on the dispatch sheet.

Bradley walked outside and got the keys to the other cab from his dad. They both turned and watched the angry-looking woman who was stalking towards the car lot. They look at each other, then over at Darren, who shrugged and went back to his food.

"Can I help you?" Bradley asked the woman as she approached.

Caroline's eyes flashed as she looked past Bradley at Ffion. "No,"she snapped and pointed at Ffion.

"It's her I want to talk to," she said poisonously as she shot daggers at the young girl and pushed past Bradley. She stopped in front of Ffion and glared down at her.

"I'm going to give you one chance to explain why you slashed up my tyres! And your reason had better be good!" she said coldly.

Ffion stood up and faced Caroline.

"The way you slashed up Gerald? Do you have any idea, any idea what an amazing man you have there? And you act like he's not fit to lick the dirt from your shoes," she sneered.

"You thought you could hit me and knock me down and not get anything in return? Then you are stupid as well as frigid."

Ffion smiled and tossed her hair. "He couldn't get enough of me and listening to the poor man go on about how his wife was such an cold, evil cow who didn't love him, who didn't touch him," Ffion stated, her tone mocking yet sad.

Caroline's eyes narrowed and she took another step forward. "HOW DARE YOU!" she hissed. "Who the Hell do you think you are!" she snapped.

"My relationship with my husband is none of your business! You were nothing more than a little whore for him to have his way with and toss aside once he was done! He always comes running back to me," she smiled cruelly at Ffion.

"You think you're the first one he's done this with don't you? Trust me, you're just the latest in his string of tarts!"

"He's hardly the last man I'll have been with," Ffion snorted. "Though he was one of the best."

Ffion then burst out laughing at Caroline, unable to hold it back.

"You like that he's done this so many times? You are such a fool! You have no idea what you are missing out on. You want to be careful, he has mad skills in the sheets, one day, one of those tarts is going to take him from you and then where will you be?" Ffion stated. "Now, I think you should leave."

Caroline glared at Ffion and clenched her fists as white rage tore through her, her eyes widened in fury, this girl hadn't got a clue: Caroline knew that Gerald had had flings in the past but the one thing that consoled her was that he always came back to her. Always! Every single time! She exhaled and marched away angrily, she needed to calm down!

Ffion shook her head and smirked as Caroline left. That woman didn't have a clue. Gerald would leave her. Ffion was as sure of it as she was as sure of her own name. She knew men and Gerald was on the edge. She sat down at the table and fielded another call and passed it along to Bradley. She smiled. She was glad Janine had forced Bradley down her throat. He really was quite a guy.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Chris finished at the station and hurried to the hospital to see Rowan. He'd been worried about her. He knew she shouldn't look so drained.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Keats paced the roof of Fenchurch and watched the sun slowly move across the sky. Soon, it would be time. And things would change. And he would be able to bring down Gene Hunt, for good.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Caroline stood around and waited impatiently for the mechanic to get here. She wanted to leave. As soon as.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Gerald threw his final pair of trousers into his suitcase and snapped it shut. He had taped a note on the fridge and grabbed the remainder of his things before leaving the house and getting into his car. He was going home.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Gene stood outside the flat smoking. He was uneasy but couldn't say why. Something felt wrong. He wasn't sure what it was. He ground the cigarette beneath his heel and went back inside to his family, wishing he could figure out what it was.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Alex looked up as Gene came back in. Molly was in her room doing homework and using her laptop to talk to Peter, Sam was asleep. She smiled and stood up from the sofa. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him to her for a kiss, taking in the expression on his face as she did so. She broke this kiss with a soft sigh and looked at him curiously.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied dismissively and held her tight.

"Did you enjoy last night?" he asked her. He'd had Molly babysit and took Alex out for a posh meal and then got them a room at the B&B for Valentines Day. He wanted to enjoy her without waking up the baby or her having to run. Clearly Sam hadn't been a problem since Molly hadn't called. He'd thoroughly enjoyed himself.

He squeezed her and then leaned back and smiled at her.

Alex raised her eyebrows at his sudden change of subject but didn't comment, she liked this topic better. She tilted her head as she looked up at him and nodded.

"You know I did, Gene," she smiled back. "One of my favourite Valentines Days," she told him with another smile. She brushed her lips against his again in a light kiss, then laid her head on his shoulder and hugged him tightly. "I missed you," she whispered to him.

"Just checking," he said and grinned at her. "We should do that more often."

He walked over and dropped onto the couch and peered over at Alex expectantly before patting the cushion next to him.

Alex smiled and went over and dropped herself onto the seat next to him "You're right, we should do that more often," she agreed as she reached for the TV remote and handed it to him to choose something to watch, she drew her legs up next to her and settled back against the sofa and grabbed up her half-finished book to read. She had taken to sleeping and reading when Sam was asleep and when she didn't have any housework to do, she groaned inwardly, she was becoming what she didn't want to be! A housewife, she shuddered but reasoned that when Sam was old enough she could go back to work. She smiled at the thought and rested her back against Gene.

Gene sat quietly for a bit and then cleared his throat.

"I was thinking, what happened yesterday, we really could have used you to talk to the guy, I mean, if things hadn't gone the way they had. Any chance you fancy coming back say, part time? I need someone with authority around there. The Super has me going to meetings and things recently. What do you say?"

Alex looked up from her page and smiled at him happily, he wanted her back at work, needed her back there. She let her smile bloom into a grin and nodded readily. "I'd love to go back," she smiled happily, then frowned. "I have one problem with that though," she sighed and pointed in the direction of the nursery. "What do you suggest I do with him while I'm working? The last thing the station needs is a screaming child, and a police station is not a place to keep a child, especially an infant like Sam, anything could happen. Also, its noisy and there's no way that he would be able to sleep if he was there," she finished. "The one flaw in that plan," she sighed. "Molly can't do it, she's at school, and I'm not comfortable with leaving him with a childminder just yet," she said.

"Bring him with you. You'll be in my office so you can shut the door so his crying won't disturb anybody. If you should have to go to a crime scene, I'll watch him," Gene said. "At least until he's old enough to be babysat."

Alex thought for a moment, nodded and kissed his cheek before pushing her book away and burrowing down into his arms. She slung an arm over his middle as she leant against him and fixed her eyes on the TV. He was letting her go back to work. She smiled, no more being cooped up inside all day. She beamed into his chest.

Gene watched TV blankly until he judged it late enough and then got up and pulled Alex up from the couch.

"I think it's bedtime," he told her and wrapped his arm tight around her waist and led her to the bedroom.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Rowan waved at Alyssa as she left and leaned against Chris as he sat on the bed next to her.

"Feeling any better?" he asked her.

"Had some decent food, that helped tremendously," she told him. He smiled.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Ronnie went limp beneath Ray as she tried to catch her breath. She ran her hands over her face and back into her hair before sliding them up around Ray's neck again.

"Oh, how do you do that to me?" she moaned and gazed at him. She let out a long breath and looked at the clock.

"Well, we have to meet Jack at the club in two hours so I guess we better get our lazy selves up and get moving. I'm starving!" she remarked and then grinned at him as she put her hands on his chest and pushed him off her so she could stand up.

"C'mon lazybones," she teased and pulled on her dressing gown before going into the kitchen to sort food.

Ray chuckled and hauled himself off their bed and grabbed his gown as he followed her through to the kitchen. "So, what are your plans after the meeting with your dickheaded ex?" he asked as he flicked the switch on the kettle and pulled down two mugs.

"Ray," Ronnie scolded. "That's no way to talk about the person letting me have my own business, so look at it that way, all right?"

She sorted out some cold chicken and some salad and put it on the table.

She walked back into the kitchen and leaned against Ray. "You make sure you be nice, okay? I want this done nice and easy. Once those papers are signed and its mine…" she trailed off and shrugged before giving him a small smile and taking the cutlery to the table.

Ray shrugged at her. "You know I don't like the guy, Ron, but, I promise to be perfectly polite and nice to him until he signs you over the deeds or whatever. After his signature is down and the club is yours then the good behaviour goes out the window," he told her as he dropped some salad onto his plate and dug into it. He had recently noticed that since he had met Ronnie he had started eating healthily. He shrugged, he wasn't too bothered.

Ronnie looked at him and then set to her food with a vengeance. Once she'd finished, she went and got quickly dressed. She made sure the Key was around her neck and slid her hand over the baby bump and smiled.

She grabbed up the laptop bag and went carefully through the paperwork one last time while Ray got ready.

Ray wolfed down his food quickly and hurriedly dressed himself, he didn't want to make Ronnie seem unprofessional by being late. He smiled as he came back out and grinned at her.

"Ready to rock and roll!"

Ronnie stood up and let out a long breath.

"Let's go then," she said and headed out. She walked next to him to the club, nerves playing havoc with her stomach. She let them into the club and gave Sarah and Doug a quick wave before heading to the office.

Jack stood up and smiled when he saw her walk in. He took in Ray behind her and her swollen belly.

"Congratulations," he said and gestured at her bump.

"Thank you," she replied and put the laptop bag on the desk. She fished out the paperwork and handed it to him.

"It's all ready," she told him as he sifted through it to look it over.

"This is Ray," she introduced, taking Ray's hand. "Ray, this is Jack."

Jack put the papers on the desk and stuck out his hand. "Hope you're taking good care of her," he remarked. Ronnie gave a minute shake of her head and went to the office door to see if the notary had arrived. She spotted the woman and waved her over.

Ray squeezed Ronnie's hand gently in a silent promise to be civil and took Jack's hand with his spare one. "Of course. How could I not," he frowned. He didn't like Jack Branning, not at all. He had his reasons of course, he was a bent copper, he was Ronnie's ex and had done some terrible things to her emotionally and the guy had made a move on her after she and Ray had got together. The guy was bastard.

Ray controlled his features and kept his expression neutral and almost pleasant.

Jack glanced over as Ronnie went to find the notary and looked back at Ray.

"She deserves it. I never got to make up for all the mistakes I made with her, so I can only hope she's with someone who treats her as she deserves to be treated," he told Ray, his tone tinged with regret.

He picked up the papers and flipped through them again. "This is the only thing I can do for her, now."

He snapped his mouth shut as Ronnie came back with the notary and started signing papers, passing them to Ronnie to sign when he'd finished. Ronnie handed them to the notary who looked them over, handing some to Ray to witness and the notarizing all the signatures. She made several copies of the documents, handing a set to Jack, one to Ronnie and keeping one herself. She put the originals back in the folder and handed them to Ronnie.

"You're all set to file them," the woman said and shook Ronnie's hand. "Good luck."

Ronnie thanked her and watched her go. Ronnie turned to Jack and gave him a brief hug.

"Thank you, Jack," she said sincerely.

"It's the least I can do," he replied and patted her arm. He picked up a bottle of expensive champagne from the floor and put it on the desk.

"I have to go meet Lynette now, but I got this," he looked at Ronnie's bump and shrugged, "before I knew you wouldn't be able to drink it. So, save it for after. Keep in touch," he said and waved as he walked off.

Ronnie watched him walk off and then looked at Ray.

"That went well. Thank you," she told him and wrapped her arms around him as she leaned against him.

"So, I should buy us dinner to celebrate. I'm a big shot business woman now," she gave him a cheesy grin and grabbed the bottle from the desk, stuck the folder in the laptop bag and caught Ray's fingers as she led him from the club.

"So, where should we eat do you think?" she asked him. She sniffed the air and then looked at Ray as she put her hand to her belly.

"I hate to say it, but I really want fish and chips," she told him and waited, a smile tugging the corner of her mouth.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Jane gave Gerald a quick wave as she approached Jack and Alyssa's house. She kept a tight grip on the container she carried and hurried over.

"Is Alyssa in? I promised I'd bring her this soup for Jack," she asked him. She noted the bag in the car and tilted her head.

"Are you leaving us then?"

"Alyssa went out, I think," he shrugged and looked down at his case, too. "Yeah, I think its time I went back up to Birmingham," he told her as he opened his car and heaved his last bag inside. He slammed the door and locked the car. "I'll take the soup inside for you if you like, though," he offered.

"Oh, that's a shame. Patrick and Charlie will miss you. You lot were becoming the Three Musketeers," she teased him and chuckled. She handed him the ceramic soup dish.

"Thank you," she said gratefully and gave him a small smile and wave before walking off.

Gerald smiled weakly at her as she walked off and went back into the house to put the soup on the counter, he wrote Alyssa a quick note to say he was going home and that the soup was from Jane, he added that he would still walk her down the aisle as a PS, and then left his keys on top of the note and shut the front door quietly behind him.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Chris went and got some chips to smuggle in and then he and Rowan sat and watched rubbish tele as they ate them, Rowan glancing at the clock and dreading sleep.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Jack wandered downstairs feeling slightly improved for sleeping most of the day. He saw the soup and the note and put some soup in a bowl and heated it in the microwave. He wondered where Alyssa was and if she knew her dad had left.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

"Well, that's good news," Jack managed and sat down to eat his soup. "If I wasn't sick I'd say let's have them over for dinner. I'm feeling a bit better now though I think. I'll likely go back to school tomorrow."

He waved away the bread. "My throat hurts a bit, not sure I can eat that. The soup is fine though. Thanks for asking Jane to bring some by for me. Your dad left, did you know?" he asked her.

Alyssa took the bread and munched on it. She reached on top of the fridge and pulled down the packet of Strepsils. She placed them next to him as she took her seat next to him. "They'll help with your throat," she smiled at him and then frowned. "What d'you mean Dad left?" she asked, confused.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Ray grinned at her. "The big-shot business woman wants fish and chips!" he mocked her in false incredulity. Then grinned at her and squeezed her hand. "Will you be wanting salt and vinegar?" he asked as he led her towards the local chippy.

Ronnie chuckled. "It's not me so much as this one," she pointed at her belly. "Those chips just smell _amazing_ don't you think?"

She swiped at her mouth, aware that she was drooling. "Come on," she hurried him along.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Jack watched Ronnie and her man, Ray, walk towards the chippy. He sighed. For some reason he'd kept mistaking Lynette for Ronnie. He would turn around and be surprised not to see Ronnie with him.

He shook his head and drove away.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Ray grinned at her and kept an arm around her as he walked with her to the chippy. At least the kid inside her had good taste. The chips here were good. He grinned as he opened the door for Ronnie and let her inside and took their place at the back of the queue.

Ronnie smiled hugely at Fatboy as they reached the counter and rubbed her hands together. "I'll have fish and chips and extra chips, please," she ordered with barely disguised greed then looked at Ray.

Ray raised his eyebrows at her but didn't comment. "Beef and onion pie with chips," he said to Fatboy who immediately got onto putting their orders together.

Ronnie looked at him. "Onions?" she snorted. "Don't expect to be kissing me anytime soon, Carling," she warned him, her eyes twinkling. She took her food when it was ready and immediately started on the chips as they walked outside and headed home.

"Oh, these are just sooo good," Ronnie enthused. "So, that's sorted and the club is mine. I suppose I should start decorating the nursery now that that's all settled."

Ray rolled his eyes at Fatboy and paid him as he grabbed his own food and followed her out and towards home. He raised his eyebrows again. "Blimey, Ron!" he chuckled as he watched her eat her way through her chips

"What colour d'you want to do it?" he asked. "We still don't know if it's a girl or boy yet!"

Ronnie shrugged. "Something neutral, I suppose. I think maybe a pale yellow, I'm not all that fond of green," she replied. She stopped him and pressed close to him and kissed him. "You get that for behaving and you get it now before you go eating onions," she told him and went back to kissing him.

"Not just onions, Ron. Beef and gravy and pastry and chips," he grinned and pulled her right against him as he kissed her back.

"I can handle the rest," she said between kisses, "but I draw the line at onions." She kissed him for a few more minutes. "Let's get home," she said and winked at him as she moved away.

Ray hurried after her and beat her to the front door. He opened it for her and let her inside first then followed her up.

Ronnie gave him a cheesy grin as she went through the door and headed upstairs. She went inside the flat, put the laptop case on the table and then flopped onto the couch and kicked her shoes off before delving into her food once again.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

Jack thanked her and nodded.

"There's a note there," he pointed. "But yeah, he packed up all his things and left, about 15 minutes or so ago I'd say."

Alyssa frowned and picked up the note from the counter. She skimmed over the stuff from Jane and read the bit at the bottom along with the PS. She chewed her lip and sighed as she put the note back on the table and looked back up at him. "I knew he wouldn't be hanging around much longer," she sighed. "But I wish he had said goodbye."

"Well, he promised to come back and give you away, or do you think he might be back before then? He really seemed to like it here."

Alyssa shrugged. "No idea" she sighed as she pulled the crust off the bread. "I suppose the Ffion thing spooked him or something," she shrugged again and then looked up at him.

"Well, and your mum was here. I'm sure that had something to do with it as well."

"Rowan told me that Chris told her that Fee had an abortion," she informed him.

Jack listened as Alyssa told him about Ffion and nodded. "I don't necessarily advocate it, but in this case it was probably for the best."

He picked up his phone. "Chris is on his way. I guess they wouldn't let him stay overnight at the hospital," he remarked. He heard a song come on the radio and chuckled.

"Remember when you and Rowan sang that at the karaoke, the one just after you and I met? You were so amazing," he told her with a grin. "I think I fell for you right then."

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

The nurse refused Rowan's request for Chris to be able to stay much to Rowan's irritation. She really didn't want to be alone.

"At least go back to Jack and Alyssa's," Rowan insisted.

"But Jack is sick, the last thing I need is to get ill."

"So, just avoid Jack and take Vitamin C," she told him. He shook his head.

"Fine," he agreed and kissed her thoroughly before he left.

Rowan settled back and turned her attention back to the tele.

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\

"Probably. Mum always has an effect on Dad," she sighed.

Alyssa smiled as she ran the karaoke night through her head. She frowned, her memory was hazy, not what happened, but the people that were there. She frowned at him. "I wasn't with you that night. I took Max," she said. "You didn't meet me until the following morning," she said, attempting to fight her way out of her confusion. Why couldn't she remember properly? She could see Jack there, at the table next to Ray, but, it had been Max surely. She closed her eyes tightly, she knew it was Max that had been there, but was having a hard time picturing it!

"Really?" Jack mused. He shook his head. He had gone to the karaoke surely? "Odd, I remember you and Rowan dancing up there and singing that song," he wondered, his tone confused.

He rubbed his head and sighed. "I suppose I should go back to bed."

Alyssa furrowed her brow. She could remember Jack there, his face shifted to Max's and back again. She ran her hands over her face. "I remember you there, too. But I know it was Max! Because I met you in the café the next day! We went to the cinema and then that Greek place!" she huffed out a breath "There's something wrong with my brain," she groaned but smiled at him and ruffled her hand through his hair.

"Something wrong with mine, too and all."

He stood up and went to get the door.

"Hiya, Chris. Nice to see you, don't get too close. I'm off to bed anyway," Jack greeted as Chris walked in.

Chris nodded and laughed. "I won't, don't worry. Have a good sleep."

Chris went into the kitchen and dropped onto a chair and unwrapped his food.

"They wouldn't let me stay. I'm worried about Rowan, she looked really scared."

Alyssa nodded. "She's scared of dreaming. I know that much. She says that they feel real," she sighed. "I think it might be the blood loss or something about being back in hospital, but," she huffed out a breath. "I don't know, she didn't look good though."

Chris nodded. "I don't know. For all that she's sleeping she looks drained and she looked terrified when the nurse came in," he broke off and then looked at Alyssa and lowered his voice. "I've been having these weird, I don't know, memories or something. I can't explain it. Things I remember but it's wrong."

He shook his head and sighed before he ate some more of his food.

Alyssa looked up sharply. "I'm getting them, too. Things Jack says that I can remember, but I know that they're wrong," she scrubbed her hands over her face. "Jack says he can remember me and Ro singing together at the karaoke and I can, too. But I know that I took Max, and me and Ro didn't sing together. I met Jack the day after because I left Max's, went to the flat, got changed and went to see Ro for breakfast. But Jack's convinced that he was there," she frowned.

"I remember…." He trailed off. "I don't remember being there," he suddenly realized. "But I was." He shook his head in confusion. "I'm worried that they wouldn't let me stay."

"They wouldn't let you stay?" she frowned. "Surely they normally encourage people to stay with their families," she bit her lip. "That can't be right," she shook her head.

"I thought that, too," Chris said as he finished his meal and tossed the container in the bin. "That nurse was pretty scary looking, I didn't want to argue," he chuckled. "I'm sure she's fine. I'm off to bed."

Alyssa waved him off and lost herself in her thoughts as she tried to puzzle out what was real and what wasn't in her mind while she nibbled on her bread roll.


	20. Chapter 20

We do not won EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 20**

"Time for sleep," the nurse said brightly when she came back an hour later. Rowan said up in alarm at the sight of the needle.

"What? I don't need that, really, I'm fine. I can get to sleep on my own."

"Sorry, dear, I have my instructions. The doctor is worried you're not getting enough rest," she told Rowan.

"Just let me sleep on my own, I'll be fine. It's just being in here, makes it difficult."

The nurse shook her head and stuck the needle into the tube and fixed Rowan with her gaze.

"You will sleep," she stated.

Rowan looked at her, startled. Something was not right about that nurse. She watched as the woman finished tidying up and then went to check on the other two people in the room before she left. Rowan pulled at the IV in her hand and hurriedly removed it, but the nurse had taken too long to leave and whatever the woman had given Rowan had been strong. She dropped back onto the pillows; her hand that had had the IV in it cradled in her other hand as her eyes closed.

/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The nurse walked down the hall and into an empty supply closet.

"She's all yours," the nurse told Keats and he smiled.

Keats stood next to the bed and smiled down at Rowan. He slid his hands over her arms.

"It's nearly time," he told her conversationally and then bent down and kissed her forehead. "Dream, pretty one, and help me crush Gene Hunt."

Rowan shifted in her sleep and shook her head as the dream overtook her.

/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Keats walked onto the Square and smiled. He walked past the houses of Gene, Alex, Ray, Chris, and Shaz and smiled. So easy to bring down Hunt – once he was isolated and alone. Drake would be the hardest, but her daughter coming back sooner was a stroke of genius. She would tear the happy couple apart and then Hunt would be his.

He strolled out of the Square, his maniacal laughter trailing behind him.

/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

_Alyssa rolled onto her back and smiled. Last night had been wonderful. She and Jack had arranged to meet up for the Karaoke tonight. She could hardly wait. But first she had to speak to Roxy Mitchell about a job at the Salon. She had thought about what Rowan had said and decided to go for it. It was much more her than a Car Lot. Even if she did like the attention that she got from Max. Though, now she liked Jack that could get a bit awkward. Far better to quit while she was ahead rather than getting herself into a mess._

_Alyssa checked the time and finally got out of bed. She moved quietly and listened. She hadn't heard Ray and Rowan get up, so she guessed they were still in bed. She tiptoed to the bathroom and slipped under the shower silently so as not to disturb them._

_Alyssa dressed herself quickly. Rowan still wasn't up. She sighed but decided not to disturb the pair of them. She grabbed her bag and headed out to go and speak to Roxy Mitchell about a career change._

_/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\_

_Ronnie finally climbed out of bed and checked her phone. Roxy had been trying to reach her. She wondered what crisis loomed now. She pulled the covers back over Jack's sleeping frame, she was going to have to insist he break it off with Chelsea if they were going to keep doing this, and went to get a shower and get dressed before heading for the pub._

_She jogged up and waved at Alyssa who was standing there. _

"_How are you?" she asked and then knocked on the pub door, though she was sure Alyssa already had. "Open up, Rox!" she shouted. _

_Alyssa smiled and nodded "I'm good, Ronnie," she said "You?"_

"_Can't complain," Ronnie replied._

_Roxy threw open the door with half a scowl._

_"What is all this yelling about!" she questioned. "I've got tonnes to do before karaoke tonight, Ron!" she said as she left the door open and retreated into the pub. Alyssa shrugged at Ronnie and followed her inside._

_Ronnie rolled her eyes at her sister's behavior and followed Alyssa inside._

"_You know, Rox, if you don't want my help, I can leave," Ronnie told her. "Don't know why you need it anyway. I thought the precious Danny did everything."_

_"Roxy? Can I have a word?" she asked as she reached the bar. Roxy nodded. "Sure," she shrugged._

_"Well, I was wondering about a job at the Salon. I mean, I'm no beautician or anything, but I can do management."_

_Roxy looked from Alyssa to Ronnie._

_"I chucked Danny out! He doesn't pull his weight and frankly, he's a prick," she said. "That's why you're here, Ron! I need someone to help me and Christian set up in here."_

_Ronnie turned and waved at Christian as he came in. _

_He grinned and held out a bag to Ronnie. "Cake?"_

"_Ooo, yes please," she said and got a chocolate muffin. "Thanks."_

_Roxy grinned and turned back to Alyssa. "I'll give you a trial as, say, deputy manager under me and we'll see how we go. How about that?"_

_Alyssa smiled. "Deal," she grinned then moved to the door. "I'll see you all tonight," she grinned and left._

_Ronnie shared a shocked glance with Christian, but held her silence as her sister spoke to Alyssa. She watched Alyssa leave and then walked over to Roxy._

"_Danny, you chucked him out? I thought he could do no wrong? I seem to remember you having a go at me yesterday about him," Ronnie said and folded her arms. She shook her head and shrugged before moving off to see what needed to be done. She knew better than to expect an apology from Roxy._

_Roxy shrugged "He's a prick Ron, and I shouldn't have had a go at you alright!" she said "Now will you help me set up the karaoke? Please?" Ronnie's eyebrows flew up in surprise. Roxy had actually apologized! "Yes, I'm here to help," Ronnie said and got to work. _

_Ronnie waved her arms around and shared another look with Christian. _

"_This place is spotless. What exactly did you need my urgent help for?" she wanted to know. _

_Christian nodded, his mouth full of cake as he held the bag out to Roxy._

_Christian swallowed his mouthful of cake._

"_Do you want one, love?" he asked Roxy and waved the bag under her nose and grinned at her._

_Roxy grinned at him and held his wrist to stop the bag moving so she could take a muffin out. She smirked and let him go. "Thanks, Babe," she smiled as she bit into the muffin._

_Ronnie helped finish setting up the equipment and then went upstairs to make herself some tea. She looked in on Amy and then headed back downstairs with her mug._

_/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Jack finished his paperwork and then started getting ready. He couldn't wait to see Alyssa again!_

_/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Alyssa decided to spend her afternoon shopping, she knew Rowan and Ray were at the flat and didn't want to get under their feet, a nice trawl around London would sort out her wardrobe and put her in a good mood._

_/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\\\/\/\\/\_

_Ray tightened his grip around Rowan's waist and smiled into her hair. This was the third day in a row he had woken in her bed and he was beginning to think it was becoming something of a habit. He shrugged inwardly and pressed her closer to him as he ran his hands up and down her sides slowly, just to feel her smooth skin beneath them. He found he craved to touch her and rarely felt happy unless she was around. But the happiest he felt was times like this. When he had her all to himself. He shook his head, he had known the woman three days! What were thoughts like that doing lurking around in __his mind?_

_Ray rested his cheek on top of her head and listened to her steady breathing. He smiled, as long as he had her in his arms he didn't care what he was feeling. Ray twisted his head and looked at the clock. He frowned, it was still early. He buried his face into her hair and held her against him peacefully._

_Rowan opened her eyes and smiled at feeling Ray warm against her. She felt so secure in his arms. She turned around and huddled against him, pressing her ear to his chest so she could let his heartbeat lull her back to sleep._

_Ray's smiled spread into a smirk and he adjusted his arms so they were comfortable around her. She felt so right in his arms. He smiled and gently kissed the top of her head and breathed her in._

_He was immensely glad that she didn't have to work today. The thought of spending all day in bed with her had cheered him when he was helping her carry all of her baking to the café. He smiled happily as he realised she was planning on going back to sleep. His hands slid up and down her back smoothly, glad they weren't getting up. He had no plans to leave her bed anytime soon._

_Rowan felt Ray shifting around her and realized he was awake. She lifted her head and kissed him softly before leaning her forehead against his and gazing into his blue eyes._

"_Morning," she whispered and trailed a finger down his cheek. She ran her thumb over his moustache and kissed him again. _

"_I am going to make me some coffee, you some tea and then I am going to take a long hot bath," she told him and grinned as she slipped from his arms and pulled on her dressing gown. She closed and tied it slowly, knowing he liked to look at her. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't feel self-conscious when he did, in fact, just the opposite, she was nearly shameless around him. Though she avoided letting him see her undressed when she was in bright light. "You relax," she told him with an air of "stay" in her tone._

_Ray watched her leave with a wide grin as he admired her, and then settled back onto the bed and stretched out._

_She padded over to the window and opened the curtains a tiny bit before going into the kitchen and switching on the machinery to make the beverages, then turning on the taps in the bath. She sipped her coffee as she brought his tea into the bedroom. She handed it to him. "I'll make breakfast when I'm finished," she told him and carried her coffee to the bathroom._

_He looked up and took his tea as she came back and he sat up and rested his back against the headboard as he took a gulp. His eyes narrowed playfully, she was having a bath? He grinned and drained the tea then climbed out of the bed and left the mug on the side. He stepped through to the corridor and cautiously glanced around. No Alyssa, good. That could've been awkward._

_Rowan drained her coffee, wincing slightly at the heat and hung her dressing gown on the back of the door and climbed into the steaming bubbles. She leaned back and sighed as the hot water surrounded her. She ducked her head under and sat up and slicked her hair back and wiped the bubbles from her face and smiled._

_Ray__ could hear the taps running and waited until they stopped and he couldn't hear the water moving around in the bath then opened the door quietly and slipped into the bathroom. Ray sighed happily at the sight of her and moved to sit on the edge of the tub. He grinned at her._

_"The idea of a bath sounded so appealing I thought I might join you," he grinned._

_Rowan looked up startled as Ray came into the bathroom. _

_She chuckled. "It's girly bubbles," she told him as she sat up in the lavender-scented bubbles. "But if you don't mind…" she trailed off and unthinkingly scooted forward so he could climb in behind her. She tilted her head so she could admire him as he stood up and got in._

_Ray grinned and stepped into the bath and settled himself in the gap she had made for him. He kissed her shoulder and raised his eyebrows. She had scars, why? What had happened to her? He felt anger start to brew, but repressed it. He smoothed out his frown and ignored the blemishes on her skin as he pulled her back against him and kissed the top of her head. His nose wrinkled. "Smells funny in here," he commented as he sniffed at the bath and smelt the lavender._

_Rowan giggled and leaned her head back to look at him. _

"_It's lavender, it's meant to be relaxing," she told him tartly. She slipped her hand behind her back and wrapped it around him. "Though with you in here now, I'm not very relaxed, quite the opposite," she told him. _

_She lifted herself up, got on her knees and turned to face him. She put her hands on his shoulders and leaned to kiss him. Her knees slipped and she dropped unceremoniously onto him, her face landing on his chest and causing the water to slosh heavily in the tub._

"_Ow," she half-moaned, half-giggled. "That hurt my nose," she frowned then propped herself up and kissed him soundly. She slid closer to him and got on her knees again before carefully moving her knees to either side of his legs. She leaned and wound an arm around his neck and slipped her other hand between his legs again, wrapping it around him. _

"_You don't feel very relaxed either," she noted and smiled._

_Ray groaned and pulled her harder against him. "How am I ever supposed to be relaxed with you around," he snorted and pulled her head to his. He kissed her hard and deep then let her lips go and smiled down at her. His hands went around and ran up and down her back as he studied her face. "So, we both have the day off," he shrugged and then kissed her again._

_He wasn't sure he would ever get enough of her. Even after 3 days with her he still wanted more. His usual practice was to sleep with them once and move on. For some reason, he didn't want to move on. She fitted so easily into his arms and moulded against him perfectly. He even liked just being around her, which was odd. He didn't normally like being around women and listening to their incessant chatter. Like Alex and Shaz. He snapped at the pair of them and made snarky comments to shut them up. Though he did enjoy the light teasing in the office. But with Rowan it was different. With Rowan he actually wanted to be around her, wanted to listen to her. He grinned._

"_Whatever will we do with ourselves?" she asked him in a sultry tone and raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't mind…." She began and bent to whisper in his ear as she stroked him with her hand. _

_She closed her eyes and felt his lust wash over her and shivered. He was like a drug and she wanted more. He was rough and slightly crude, but she didn't care, it added to his charm. He liked her cooking. He laughed at her jokes. The way he looked at her made her feel like she was the most desirable woman in the world, as if no other women existed. She didn't think anyone had ever looked at her like that before. She liked it a great deal. She liked him a great deal. _

_Ray smiled at her words and pushed her closer to him, he needed her closer, needed to feel her against him. He wanted all of her, all at once. His hands roamed her body as he tried to __fulfill__ his need. His eyes rolled shut and a throaty growl escaped him at her words, he wanted her. Now! _

_She felt her breathing quicken as his lust got stronger. "We should go to my room, we could do ourselves a mischief in here," she suggested and reluctantly removed her hand from him. She stood up __and pulled the plug with her toes before pulling the shower curtain and turning on the shower to rinse __off the bubbles. _

_She reached her hand down and gestured at him to stand up. She ran her hands over his body to help rinse him off then shut off the taps and stepped out. She wrapped a towel around herself and then handed him one and peered out the bathroom door. _

"_She's not back yet," she whispered to Ray. "Come get me!" she challenged and bolted to her room, giggles trailing along behind her. _

_Ray wrapped the towel around his waist and grinned. Alyssa wasn't back? They had the flat to themselves. He liked that. He stomped after her and caught her around the waist before she got to her bedroom door, he turned her around, pulled her against him and let both towels fall as he glued his mouth to hers hungrily. Ray backed her up against her bedroom door as he kissed her, he trapped her between himself and the door and pushed his body into hers with a deep groan of need. His hands went from her waist, over her hips to cup her arse and he lifted her from the floor so they were at a more even height. He broke the kiss and gazed at her, his eyes blackened with lust. "Jesus, Ro," he murmured as he moved to press lingering kisses down her neck._

_Rowan's shrieks of laughter dissolved as he kissed her. She wound her arms around his neck as he lifted her and met his gaze. She looked at him, her breathing rapid and felt her heart constrict. Was she falling for him? She sighed and closed her eyes as he kissed down her neck. She really wished he'd close the door. She didn't know when Alyssa would be back and didn't want her to walk in on them at it in the hall. _

_She locked her feet around him. The feel of him against the bare flesh between her legs almost agony. _

"_Please, Ray," she begged and twined her fingers into his hair. _

_Ray smirked against the soft skin of her neck and continued what he was doing, dragging it out was having the same effect as killing him, but he didn't want to rush, no! He did want to rush! He didn't know what he wanted except that he wanted her, that thought was the only one in his mind. Ray manoeuvred her so she was in a better position and detached his lips from her neck as he thrust inside her, emitting a growl as he did. His hands slid down her legs and then back up to her hips as he held her tightly and moved inside her._

"_Yes!" Rowan cried as he was finally where she needed him, inside her. She dug her fingers into his shoulders and __reveled__ in the feel of him. She moved with him, her forehead pressed to his, her gaze fixed on his eyes. He was in her blood, in her mind. She moaned as she felt his aura drowning her and she closed her eyes and let her own go, letting it mesh and meld with his, bringing new pleasure. It was glorious! She'd never thought to have something like this with anyone. _

"_Bright Lady Above, Ray, I love you," she gasped and buried her face in his neck as she was lost. _

_Ray clutched at her tighter, he could hear her saying something, but the words didn't register, he kept going, slamming her against the wall as he felt his release and holding her there as he rested his cheek against her head and closed his eyes until he felt grounded once more. _

_Rowan screamed his name as she came again and again. She gasped for air and buried her face again._

_"Amazing," he muttered. "Just amazing". He pressed his head against hers and hugged her tightly to him, keeping her legs around his waist and opened her bedroom door with one hand, he shut the door with his foot as he cradled her in his arms and sat down on the bed so she was in his lap with her feet still locked around him. His brain finally processed her words and he furrowed his brow, she loved him? After 3 days? Was that even possible? He didn't know, but wasn't going to push her away because she had said it, three little words would not scare him off._

_He wrapped his arms around her and secured her to his chest as his fingers gently traced her scars, he frowned. "How did you get them Rowan?" he asked tenderly._

_She shivered suddenly as she felt his finger trace one of the long thin scars on her back. She gnawed her lip. He deserved to know._

"_I was married once," she whispered. "His name was Brian and when I first met him I thought he was the most amazing man in the world. I grew up on a farm, in a small town and I didn't know any better. He was my first. He didn't really start to change until after we got married. He'd always been rough, but I didn't think anything of it. When he wanted to tie me up I didn't mind. But after we got married….he…he started to hit me," she broke off and looked at him before taking a deep breath and continuing. "Then he started using a __flechette__…do you know what that is? It's like a knife, but like a razor too. He…would handcuff me face down and….." she trailed off unable to continue and put her head down. "That's what made the scars. You can only see them in bright light," she finished. "He left me for my best friend when he found out I wasn't as rich as he thought I was. That was 10 years ago. I've been __traveling__ around ever since, England, Scotland, Wales, even Ireland. I never got involved and I never stayed in one place for long. There were only two other men after Brian, but like I said, I never stayed around. It seemed better to be alone."_

_She looked up at him and touched his face as her eyes met his. _

"_I don't think I want to be alone anymore. I feel….safe….with you," she confessed._

_Ray felt a sudden burst of rage towards her ex-husband, what kind of sick twisted person did you have to be to do that to someone! He instinctively knew that if he ever met Brian that the guy would not be able to walk for at least a week. He loosened his hold on her slightly as he realised he was probably squeezing her too tightly and kissed her forehead. She was safe with him, he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Not ever, and if anyone ever hurt her again their life would take a sudden turn for the worse. He cradled her face and slid his hands into her hair, his expression softened as he looked at her._

_"You are safe with me, Ro," he told her gently and brushed light kiss over her lips. "I'll not let anyone ____ever__ do anything like that to you," he murmured as he hugged her to him and rolled them both so that they were lying down, he wrapped his arms tightly around her and hugged her to him as he ran a hand through her hair, combing it with his fingers. He was turning into a right old softy, he shook the thought away, this woman needed him and he was beginning to believe that he needed her too._

_Rowan settled against him, surprised at his promise to her, but pleased. She sighed at the feel of his fingers in her hair. It had been a long time since anyone had done that. Her parents had always done it when she and her sister were sick or scared or just sad. It always made her feel better. _

"_That feels nice," she breathed and pressed a kiss to his chest. She was aware she was extremely hungry, but didn't want to stop the moment. It was so perfect. She closed her eyes briefly and let herself drift._

_She opened her eyes and tracked the thin beam of sunlight through the small gap in the curtains. It must be after lunchtime now! She lifted her head and raised a hand to his wrist to hold it still and pressed a kiss to his forearm. _

"_I'm starving," she finally admitted. _

_Ray raised his eyebrows at her and lifted his arm off her. He smiled. "Fancy cooking me something?" he asked casually as he stretched and grinned at her._

"_I fancy cooking us both something," she replied in a spot-on imitation of his accent. She winked at __him and slid from the bed. She got into her wardrobe and pulled out a bag and put it on the bed for him before padding into the bathroom to get her dressing gown from the back of the door. _

_She bounced onto the bed and folded her legs under her, leaning back on her heels. She nudged the bag towards him. "Go on, it's for you," she told him, hoping he would like the deep blue dressing gown she had bought him._

"_I'll be in the kitchen, finding something to cook," she told him and rolled off the bed and headed into the kitchen. _

_She smiled when she saw some leftover beef stew and immediately put it on the stove to reheat. She flipped on the kettle to make tea and pulled a container of buttermilk biscuits from the breadbox. She warmed them in the microwave and yawned as she ran her hands through her hair. She idly stirred the stew and wondered what in the world she was going to wear for the karaoke. _

_She still couldn't get over the fact that Alyssa wanted her to sing! She hurriedly fixed the tea and put the mugs on the table and then the basket of biscuits. _

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Jack fixed himself a quick dinner. He knew it would be a mistake to drink on an empty stomach and he was looking forward to spending time with Alyssa than getting hammered._

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Brian got himself dressed and smiled. He couldn't wait to see Rowan again. He knew she'd be at the pub. She loved to watch karaoke._

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Ray smiled and took the plate from her and dug in hungrily. He grinned at her question. _

_"It's in the pub, of course I'm going to be there," he raised his eyebrows at her. "I'm sure getting you drunk won't be too difficult," he teased as he broke the biscuit apart and dipped it into his stew._

_Ray raised his eyebrows as the door opened and grinned at Alyssa as she came into the room. He was aware that he was clad in only a dressing gown and swallowed down the rest of his food, then stood, put his used plate and cutlery into the sink and went to get dressed._

_Alyssa took Ray's vacated seat after getting a can of coke from the fridge and dropping her shopping into her room._

_"Chosen your song?" she asked Rowan. She remembered walking in on Rowan when she had had her headphones in and was unaware that Alyssa was standing in the same room. A small chuckle escaped her. She looked at Alyssa. _

_"A song, you must be joking. I don't do that," she laughed nervously. _

_"Rowan, you have to sing! I'm not doing it unless you do" she stated simply. "You don't get a choice. I have it all worked out!" _

_"Come on, Lyss, really. I cannot sing and you know it. How can I get up there in front of people and do it? I wear earbuds so I don't have to listen to myself!" she moaned and put her face in her hands. _

_Alyssa took a step forward. "Rowan, people will be so pissed no one will care what you sound like, that's half the fun of karaoke!" She blinked her large green eyes at her friend. "Please?" _

_"Oh no, not the eyes!" Rowan shrieked and turned her head. She turned back to Alyssa. "I'm going to need a lot of drinks if you expect me to sing," she leveled a finger at her friend. "A lot." _

_Ray and Alyssa chuckled. "Deal!" Alyssa agreed. "But before we go, we are gonna have to look the part!" she exclaimed excitedly. She had to stop herself from jumping up and down on the spot. She loved makeovers and dressing up. She always had. Ever since she was little, her mum had encouraged it, of course. Even after she had 'lost contact' with her parents and her life connected with them, it was one thing that still excited her. _

_"What do you mean by that?" Rowan asked nervously._

_Alyssa looked at Rowan and shook her head. "No, come on, Rowan! Humour me." Alyssa turned her pleading gaze back to Rowan. _

"_What are you going to do to me?" she asked nervously. "And it has to wait till after dinner." Alyssa nodded. That was as good as a yes. Her face broke into a delighted smile. _

_"Rowan, I'm going to give you a makeover!" she exclaimed "And it would have to wait until after the food anyway, can't have any mishaps," she stated matter-of-factly. _

_Rowan looked imploringly at Ray. "Help." Ray shook his head at her. _

_He watched curiously and silently from his seat at the kitchen table, content just to watch the two women. A makeover? He had to admit he was intrigued as to what Rowan would turn out like, he thought she was pretty anyway, but he was curious to see what she would look like once Alyssa was finished._

_Then she looked back at Alyssa. _

_"A makeover. Oh boy," she commented nervously. _

_"Cheer up, Rowan, it'll be fun!" she said enthusiastically. She moved and sat at the wooden table. "And I need your advice on what to wear anyway" she sighed moving her half-full coke can around in circles on the solid surface. _

_Rowan looked at Alyssa, her mouth hanging open. "You're taking the piss!" Rowan cried at Alyssa's comment after she'd recovered from the shock. "My advice, on what to wear. Mine? Alyssa, I know nothing and I mean nothing about clothes. I buy what I can sprawl in comfortably, you've seen my wardrobe," she leaned on the table, still gaping at Alyssa and on the brink of laughter. _

_Alyssa looked up startled at Rowan's outburst. She let out a giggle. _

_"Yes, I have seen your wardrobe Ro, the clothes you have are very you and anyway, fashion sense doesn't come into it! I just need someone else's opinion and the opinion I want is yours," she stated simply. She pulled her plate towards her and tried not to laugh at Rowan as she munched on her food. She was ssooooo funny when she was shocked. _

_Rowan shook her head and began to absently eat her food. Fashion advice! "Did someone change my name to Trinny or Susannah when I wasn't watching," she muttered around a mouthful of stew. _

_Alyssa laughed. Personally, she hated those makeover shows, especially Trinny and Susannah. If she had to watch one it would be Gok Wan. "No, I just value your opinion," she said truthfully taking a mouthful of food. _

_Rowan looked at Alyssa. "I suppose I should grab a shower before this all kicks off," she sighed over-__dramatically and carried her own plate to the sink and rinsed it with an exaggerated sense of drama. _

_Alyssa burst into hysterics at Rowan overly theatrical movements. She took another mouthful, careful not to choke on her food while she tried to stop laughing. _

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Jack walked up to the door of the building and pressed the buzzer. He hoped Alyssa didn't mind him turning up and possibly spending time with her before going to the karaoke. _

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Ray gestured to Rowan and Alyssa that he would answer the door, he got the phone and pressed the button. Jack. He peered back into the kitchen and looked at Alyssa. "It's Jack."_

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Rowan quickly showered and then came back out into the kitchen wrapped in her dressing gown again. _

"_Okay, I'm ready and place myself at your mercy," she commented with an air of doom._

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Alyssa's face burst into a wide smile and she nodded at him to let Jack up. _

_Ray pressed the door lock and switched the intercom off. _

_Rowan quickly showered and then put on her robe and waited for Alyssa to do what she needed to do. Alyssa had gathered her make up onto the kitchen table while Rowan had been showering. She studied her friend's appearance and decided to start with Rowan's hair before it became unmanageable. She got a mirror and hair dryer from her room. And went back as an afterthought for her hot rollers. _

_"Hair, straight or curly?" she asked plugging in her equipment. Rowan shuffled into the kitchen where Alyssa was setting up shop. "I don't know, I generally tie it back. I've never given hair or makeup much thought. When you're always moving around, it's simpler not to bother," Rowan shrugged. _

_Alyssa smiled at her. "Okay then, how about I dry it and we see it naturally, then you can decide?" she said. She wasn't sure what Rowan's hair was like naturally so didn't know whether she would need some of her hair stuff. She sat Rowan down in front of then mirror and got to work drying her friend's hair, being careful not to tug at any knots so as not to hurt her. Rowan heaved a great sigh. _

_"I trust you; do what you like, just don't make me look ridiculous." Alyssa nodded and a small smile crept onto her face at Rowan's words. _

_Rowan closed her eyes, took a deep breath and waited. _

_Soon, the smell of Rowan's shampoo was drifting around the apartment. When her hair was dry, Alyssa __stepped back to study it. She chewed her bottom lip as she came to a decision. She picked up a couple of the hot rollers and gently wound locks of hair around them. She only did the bottom layer of hair so that the hair would curl underneath in a sophisticated way. Satisfied, Alyssa picked up Rowan's hand and tested her foundation on it. She frowned, their skin tones were different. _

_"Rowan, have you got any foundation?" Rowan looked up at Alyssa. _

_"I don't know. If I wear makeup it's usually a bit of mascara and some lip gloss," Rowan shrugged. She thought for a moment. "I might have something." She got up and went into her room and rummaged. She came back carrying a tube of something. _

_"Tinted __moisturizer.__ Closest I've got," Rowan explained. _

_Alyssa took the tube, it would do. She gently applied the cream to Rowan's skin. Alyssa dug around in her bag for blusher. She finally found her pale red one and brushed it across Rowan's cheekbones, it made her looked a little flushed which was the effect Alyssa was after. She replaced the lid to her blusher and picked up some mascara and several lipsticks. She was still deliberating eye shadow. _

_Rowan shifted in her seat, finding it difficult to sit still. She was desperate to ask, "Are you done yet," but was worried she'd get a smack on the head. She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. Alyssa was busy choosing an eyeshadow for Rowan. She ended up choosing a warm brown; it was a neutral colour that would go with anything Rowan chose to wear. _

_She applied the brown powder to Rowan's eyelids then coated her lashes in a thin layer of mascara. She looked at Rowan's eyes; she grabbed some gold liquid liner and added a barely noticeable flick across the edge of her eye. When it caught the light it would shimmer. She gave Rowan the lipstick to do. If she left her hair any longer it would be too curly. _

_Rowan put the lipstick on quickly; glad the make up business was over. She never did understand the fuss. She hadn't even started wearing it herself until she'd gone to university, and even then, she'd not worn much. _

_"Close your eyes," Alyssa told her. She waited until Rowan did as she was told before gently unrolling the rollers and moving her curls to where she wanted them. Rowan's make up was subtle, but exaggerated and enhanced her best features. Alyssa stood in front of her and cast a critical eye over her efforts. Smiling, she placed the mirror in front of Rowan. _

_"You can look now." _

_Rowan took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. Her jaw dropped! That was her? She looked at Alyssa and pointed at the mirror, then looked back at her reflection again. "I see the whole make up attraction now," was all she could think of to say. _

_Alyssa simply stood and beamed at her friend's gobsmacked response to her reflection. "You like then?" she questioned. _

_"I can't believe it's me," Rowan said completely flabbergasted. "I had no idea I could be pretty. It's just not something I ever really thought about. Though I really don't think I could do this for any more than a special occasion. Just seems too much work." Rowan grinned. _

_"So, what's next then?" she asked, with slightly more enthusiasm than she'd expected. Alyssa smiled and led Rowan to her wardrobe. "Now, we find you something to wear," she said mischievously. _

_"Oh, well, then," Rowan said excitedly and dug in and started pulling some of her favorite things out of the wardrobe and tossing them on the bed. Alyssa fished through her clothes that had been thrown on the bed. She sat on Rowan's bed thinking. Matched with the right thing, she could do something with some of these clothes. _

_"Rowan, what size are you?" she asked thoughtfully. "I don't know," Rowan shrugged and picked up a t-shirt that wasn't too baggy. "I guess large?" she shrugged as she read off the tag, "bit of an issue," she gestured at her chest. Alyssa nodded. _

_Thoughtfully, she stood and wandered to her own room. She dug in her wardrobe for several items that she thought would fit Rowan. She brought them back into Rowan's room and passed them to her. _

_"Try these," she said looking at the muddle of clothes now covering the bed. _

_"You're not serious," Rowan said with a nervous chuckle. "Oh boy." Rowan stood, turned her back, pulled off the dressing gown she was wearing and pulled on one of the tops Alyssa had handed her. Rowan turned around, a blush suffusing her cheeks. She was half-naked! She stood there and tried not to cover herself with her hands. Alyssa looked at the top Rowan had put on. Her mind was whirring. _

_"Firstly, stop being so self-conscious, you look gorgeous!" she exclaimed happily. She scanned around the bed looking for something other than the trousers she was wearing. "Sorry," Rowan murmured. "I'm half-naked here," she said blushing. She brushed her hands on her legs and tried to act less uncomfortable._

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

"_I know I'm a bit early, I hope that's okay," Jack said over the speaker._

_"Nah mate, it's fine. They're just getting ready" Ray said over the speaker and pulled his packet of cigarettes out of his pocket and wedged the front door open with a spare shoe that was laying around. He hung up the phone and went downstairs and opened the main door. He shrugged at Jack. "Go on up if you like, Alyssa's giving Rowan a makeover, not a man friendly zone up there if you ask me," he explained as he leant against the wall and lit up._

"_Makeover eh?" Jack echoed and promptly leaned against the wall and pulled out his own cigarettes and lit up. He noted Ray's accent and gave him a sidelong glance. "Blues or Reds?" he asked him and blew out a plume of smoke._

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Rowan looked at herself in the mirror then looked at Alyssa. _

"_I'm not sure I can go out like this," she half-whined and tugged at the material of the mini-skirt. She gestured at Alyssa in the stunning black mini-dress she was wearing. "I need legs like yours," she chuckled. _

"_I hope I don't fall out of this top," she muttered and toyed with her bracelet. _

"_So, what's this big song idea you have? I suppose you should tell me about it on the way down, I don't know how patient those two will be."_

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Ray looked over at him and raised his eyebrows. "Reds," he said with a grin. "You?"_

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Alyssa smiled at Rowan's compliment and smiled. "You won't fall out of it Rowan, don't worry," she grinned and nodded. _

_"You know Shania Twain? I'm planning to sing 'Man! I feel like a woman!" she smiled as she ushered Rowan out of the front door and handed her a coat in case she wanted one, she grabbed her jacket and slung it over her shoulders and slipped her arms in the holes as she followed Rowan downstairs._

"_I know the song yes, and you're sure you want me to sing with you, although in this getup, I suppose it's slightly appropriate."_

_She took the coat Alyssa handed her gratefully and slung it on as she walked down the stairs. _

_Ray looked up at the sound of heels on the stairs and gave Jack a look as he waited to see exactly what Alyssa had done to Rowan. Alyssa came outside first and beamed at the two men. _

_"Gentlemen, may I present, Rowan Tremaine," she said with a chuckle as she stepped aside to let Rowan get outside._

_Rowan blushed at Alyssa's announcement and hurriedly looked at Ray. She felt her heart jump into her throat at the look on his face and she gave him a small smile. That look had made the whole thing worth the effort. _

_Ray's eyes widened and he sucked in a breath at the sight of her, he was speechless, she had been pretty before, but whatever Alyssa had done had made her look completely stunning! _

_Alyssa smiled at Ray's speechless state, perfect. She turned to Jack with a grin. "Hey," she beamed at him._

_Ray didn't say a word but pulled her into his arms and devoured her mouth hungrily._

_Rowan kissed him back, winding her arms around his neck as she did so. She reluctantly broke off the kiss and looked at him._

"_I take it you like?" she asked, although from the way he was pressed against her, she had little doubt of that. She laughed then and reached into her coat pocket and fished out a packet of tissues and pulled one out to wipe his mouth with. _

"_I don't think it's your shade," she joked. She stepped away from him and tightened up her coat and took his arm so they could walk to the pub. At least in her three inch heel dress boots he didn't quite tower over her anymore._

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Jack shrugged and opened his mouth to answer when Alyssa's announcement interrupted him. He felt his jaw drop seeing her in that outfit. _

_She was simply amazing! He looked over at Ray and Rowan and then grinned at Alyssa._

"_Hey," he greeted her and jerked his thumb in their direction._

"_Can I do that?" he asked and slid his hands down her shoulders to her arms as he moved his face close to hers._

_Alyssa felt butterflies surface at the look on Jack's face and smiled up at him. She glanced at Rowan and Ray and then back up at him. "Take a chance and find out," she challenged him with a grin._

_Jack took her invitation and leaned over and kissed her thoroughly. _

"_You're fantastic," he told her as he broke it off and took her arm and followed Ray and Rowan to the pub._

_Ray chuckled at Rowan and looked her up and down once more. "Can we skip the karaoke and go back upstairs?" he asked coyly as he slid his arm around her waist as they walked. He looked at the pub in front of them and sighed. He would have to wait. He could deal with that. Get a few pints under his belt, watch her and Alyssa sing, go back to the flat, go to bed. He smiled at his newly formulated plan and squeezed her waist gently._

"_I would much prefer it. My singing is horrific, I can't carry a tune in a bucket," she told Ray wryly and leaned against him._

_Ray opened the pub door and let her go in first then walked her up to the bar and ordered their drinks as they waited for Jack and Alyssa to catch up._

_Jack gestured Alyssa to go ahead and sit with Ray and Rowan, he'd bring their drinks over and then turned to Christian to order._

_Rowan gazed at Ray as he ordered their drinks._

"_What happened to you Miss Vixen?" Christian teased her and she blushed. _

"_Alyssa," she replied._

"_Well, you look amazing, love, don't let anyone tell you different," he said and patted her hand then glanced at Ray. "He probably wouldn't let them anyway," he grinned and jerked his chin at Ray. Rowan giggled and wound her arm around Ray's. She took her drink and quickly led Ray to a table near where the stage would be and waved Alyssa over. _

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Rowan leaned against Ray and half-listened to their football conversation as she chatted with Alyssa. She saw Gene and Alex come in and waved at them and then at Jack and Ronnie who came in behind them._

Rowan could see Ray watching her from the corner of his eye and it thrilled her. She was tempted to take her coat off now but decided to wait. He was having a good conversation and enjoying himself and she didn't want to spoil that.

Rowan drained her drink quickly and looked at Alyssa. "That's one," she said and chuckled.

_Alyssa grinned as she sipped her spritzer and listened disinterestedly to the conversation about football going on across her. She raised her eyebrows at Rowan. "How drunk do you intend to get?" she asked incredulously. "It's just singing, Rowan" she smiled._

_"I'm going to need at least three drinks if you expect me to get up there in front of people and sing. "You've heard me, can you blame me? I need to be at least partially gazeboed," she chuckled. "So are you getting this round or shall I?"_

_Ray caught Rowan knocking back her drink out of the corner of his eye and was about to say something when Jack caught his attention again and he latched himself back into their debate._

_Alyssa chuckled and pushed her glass towards Rowan, she had nearly finished but there was still some of her spritzer left in the bottom of the glass. "I'll get them," she smiled and squeezed her way past Jack and Ray to go the bar._

/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\

Ronnie tapped Alex on the shoulder. "Should we sit near them or stay over here?" she wanted to know.

_Alex smiled at Ronnie and toted with her wine glass as she looked over at the little group of four. "I say sit with them," she smiled. "I'm in a rather social mood," she grinned as she hopped down from the barstool and made her way over to the group._

_Alex stopped as her phone went off and her eyebrows flew up at the Caller ID. She looked at Ronnie. "I have to take this," she said apologetically and headed for the quiet outside the pub._

_Alex leant against the doorframe. "Evan?" she asked into the phone in surprise and stood silently as she listened to her Godfather._

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Ronnie nodded at Alex and took the glass of wine Jack handed her and sat down at the table next to Rowan and Alyssa. _

_She smiled at the group and took Jack's hand as he sat down. Ronnie leaned over to Alyssa._

_"You should know that Chelsea quit the salon and left town yesterday. Jack dumped her and she was pretty sore about it," Ronnie whispered to her quietly._

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Gene watched Alex go outside, worry etched his features. He sat down with Jack and Ronnie and took a drink of his pint._

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Alyssa looked at Ronnie as she past and raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad," she admitted. "I met Chelsea __briefly and she got on my nerves," she said in a hushed tone then smiled as she went to lean on the bar._

"_My turn next then," Rowan chuckled and eyed the nearly empty glass Alyssa had pushed at her. She gnawed her lip a moment. She knew what happened when she drank wine and there was enough left in that glass to affect her. She glanced at Ray out of the corner of her eye. He wouldn't mind she was sure. And considering what Alyssa was no doubt expecting up on stage when they sang, it would be a lot easier. She shrugged and downed it and leaned her elbow on the table and propped her chin in her hand to idly gaze at Ray as he talked to Jack. _

_Ronnie nodded and edged from the table to avoid the mild tension of being stuck between Jack and Gene and followed Alyssa to the bar to get herself another glass of wine._

"_She is a headache, I'll give her that," Ronnie grinned and ordered another drink._

_Alyssa smiled. "Can you imagine working with her!" she shuddered and ordered another round. "Now my only problem is going to be sorting out the mess she's made of the books," she sighed._

"_And I imagine it's quite a mess!" Ronnie agreed before she went to sit back down._

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Christian got up on the stage and picked up the microphone._

_"Okay," he announced. "It's time to start the singing," he looked at a card. "So, I think Heather is first and she's going to sing George Michael."_

_Roxy cringed as Heather started singing. She knew that this part of the evening was inevitable but she still wasn't prepared for it._

_Alyssa danced back to her seat ignoring the havoc Heather was wreaking with her eardrums._

"_You ready yet?" she looked at Rowan._

_Rowan groaned. "Terrified."_

_Ronnie moved around the table after Alyssa sat down to sit away from the football talk._

_"I can't believe you're going to sing," Ronnie said._

_"Well, I hope you brought earplugs cause I really can't sing," Rowan smiled shamefacedly. She jerked her head at Heather singing her heart out about having Faith._

_"I'll make her sound like Celine Dion," Rowan snorted a laugh._

_As expected, Heather sang two songs in a row and then Christian got up to announce Amira and that she was going to sing Celine Dion._

_Rowan and Ronnie looked at each other and at Alyssa and collapsed into giggles. __Alyssa started laughing too. She listened to Amira's singing, slightly bored with it. This song bored her to tears most of the time unless it was coupled with the actual movie._

_Everyone cheered and clapped when Amira finished and Christian got up on stage._

_"Okay, people, for a special treat I am going to sing," he grinned cheekily at Roxy behind the bar as the music began and he started to sing about how he'd kissed a girl and he'd liked it._

_Roxy carried on serving customers as she heard Christian take center stage. She smiled at her best friend as he took the mike and waited for the music to begin._

_Rowan drained her drink and was decidedly feeling the alcohol. How much had they put in her drinks? _

_Christian finally finished to a raucous applause and cheers. He bowed and grinned._

_"Next, we have Alyssa and Rowan..." he said and gestured in their direction with the mic._

_Ray grinned at Rowan and Alyssa as they stood and he raised his pint to Rowan as they went off towards the stage._

_Alyssa rose and took the microphone off Christian smiling. Rowan stood and slipped off her coat and followed behind Alyssa, walking carefully so she didn't trip in her heels._

_The track came on and Alyssa relaxed completely. When she had stood up the butterflies had taken hold and nerves had hit her. It was the same any time she did anything public. However, thanks to her experience with karaoke, she knew that they vanished once the music began. Her hips started swaying in time to the music as the intro picked up. Her nerves completely vanished as she began to sing. Acting with the words as she sang them._

_Rowan cleared her throat as the music started. She knew she should be nervous, but she wasn't. Of course, all the alcohol in her system was a factor. And the wine she'd drank was causing her to feel no shame and as the music began she started to sing with Alyssa. She was glad her normal screech was absent. Her drunkenness had thickened her voice enough that she wasn't entirely horrifying._

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Brian drained his drink in one and got another and then his head whipped around as his little Rowena was announced. He was frankly taken aback at the sight of her. She'd never looked like that when they were together, not that mousy little farm girl. He wondered what had caused it._

_/\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\_

_Alyssa's face broke into a mischievous smile as she sang the bridge. Rowan winked at her and joined in._

_"...The best thing about being a woman  
Is the prerogative to have a little fun..."_

_Alyssa carried on her eyes roaming the clusters of people around her, focusing on Jack. She shot him an impish grin._

_Jack smiled widely at Alyssa. She was unbelievable. He was tempted to try and take her home, but they'd only just met._

_Rowan focused on Ray, finding it easier to match Alyssa's provocative dancing if she pretended no one else was here but Ray._

_Ray's eyes widened at her movements and his face burst into a grin as he fixed his eyes on her and watched, they were leaving once Rowan had finished. That was non-negotiable._

_"...We don't need romance, we only wanna dance, we're gonna let our hair hang down..."_

_Their dancing got more provocative as the song progressed._

_When Alyssa finished she was slightly flushed and out of breath. Rowan avoided bowing like Alyssa had, she was sure she would fall out of her top and wafted some air at her face. Alyssa handed the microphone back to Christian, Rowan followed behind her._

_Even Christian gawped openly at the girls as he took back the microphones. He cleared his throat before speaking._

_"We're gonna take a five minute break," he said._

_Rowan hugged Alyssa and giggled. "That was fun, but I'm glad it's over."_

_Alyssa blushed slightly at the attention she was getting and hid slightly behind her hair as Rowan hugged her. _

_Jack got up and handed Alyssa her drink. "That was truly a sight to behold."_

_Rowan stepped away from Alyssa and moved around to sit back down next to Ray. She picked up her drink and raised it. Her mouth was so dry._

_"Well, Ro Ro," Brian said in his deep honeyed voice when he reached the group. "That was impressive."_

_Rowan froze and did not turn around. She went wide-eyed and her mouth fell open but no sound came out. The glass fell from her nerveless fingers._

_Ray's head shot up to look at the man as his presence provoked such a negative reaction from Rowan. She was clearly scared of the guy. Ray tensed._

_Alyssa shivered as she heard a familiar voice from behind Rowan. She looked up to see Brian standing there. Questions burst inside her head. How did Rowan know him? Ro-Ro? Why had Rowan frozen?_

_She answered the questions herself. Firstly, they had obviously dated that also explained the nickname. But Rowan's obvious panic..._

_Brian took a step towards Rowan. "What's wrong Rowena, aren't you pleased to see me after all these years?"_

_Rowan turned slowly and faced him. She was shaking. What was he doing here? Why now?_

_"What do you want Brian?" her voice was low, barely above a whisper. "Why are you here?"_

_"I was passing through, looking for a job. Saw you outside the café. Realized how much I'd missed you," he said as he stepped closer._

_"You're the one who left Brian, not me," she said, her voice still shaking but slightly louder. "You left me," she backed up a step. He was getting too close._

_"And I was wrong. I apologize. Surely we can be friends if I'm going to be working here?" Brian reached out to touch her and she jumped back and reached out blindly for Ray._

_Ray placed his hands on her shoulders and slid them slowly down her arms as he glared at the man. Brian. Her ex-husband. The guy that had cut her up and... He didn't want to think about what else he had done to Rowan. He squeezed her shoulders gently, he was trying very, very hard to suppress his need to punch Brian into the ground._

_Christian looked at Roxy and got his mobile ready in case he needed to call the police._

_"Fine, I'll go. Was great to see you though, Ro Ro. You really look quite lovely," he smiled._

_Rowan looked sidelong at him and then dropped her gaze to the floor._

_Alyssa watched the little scene with concern. Her eyes never left Rowan's panic-stricken face the whole time. The second Brian had gone she stood and rushed to her friend. She enveloped Rowan in a hug and comforted her friend as best she could._

_Roxy watched the new man in amusement. So this bloke got under Rowan's skin? Interesting. She noticed Christian at the ready with his phone. He was right of course, the last thing she needed was a commotion. She sighed._

_Christian put the phone down with relief as the overly handsome man left the pub and breathed a sigh of relief._

_Ray's hands came around Rowan as Brian left and he turned her gently. He stroked a hand down her face to cup her cheek softly and made her meet his eyes. He looked at her silently for a moment then pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on top of her head as he held her tightly to his chest._

_Rowan shook in Ray's arms. What was Brian doing here? And he was staying. She looked up at Ray._

"_I want to go home," she whispered. _

_"Okay," he said gently._

_Ray brushed a light kiss across her forehead and nodded at her. He kept his arm protectively around her shoulders and said goodbye to Ronnie and Jack as he guided Rowan away._

_Jack noted Alyssa's distress and put an arm around her shoulders. _

"_You okay?" he asked her. _

_Alyssa bit her lip and looked up and Jack. "I'm just worried about Rowan," she told him quietly. "Did you see her reaction to Brian?" she murmured. "I want to know what caused it," she admitted._

"_Do you want me to take you home or do you want to come back to mine?" Jack asked her, his tone still concerned. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and led her from the pub._

_Alyssa leant her head on Jacks shoulder and sighed as they walked. "I don't know. It depends how Rowan is. But she's got Ray," she shrugged again._

"_Well, then we'll go check on her at any rate," he told her. "She's your mate. I don't mind."_

_/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\_

_Ronnie noticed Gene and Alex leaving and gave them a small wave. She settled herself next to Jack and watched the show._

_/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\_

_Alex's facial expressions went from curiosity, to shock, to anger, and finally happiness and excitement._

_"No, Evan! No I understand. Don't worry, I'm on my way over now. Thank you so much!" she said before he hung up. Alex clutched her phone to her chest and grinned happily before hastily retreating back into the pub. She spotted Gene and made her way over and sat down next to him, she made him __shift across so that they were a little way away from the others and smiled at him. "I need to borrow the Quattro," she murmured to him._

_Gene put down his half-empty pint and looked at Alex. "I'll take you wherever you need to go. I'm not staying here," he told her and gestured her to get up. _

_Alex eyed Jack and then smiled at Gene. She was grateful even though she knew it was a reason for Gene to leave the place before it got awkward. She slipped her hand into his and waved at the little group as she led him outside._

"_So, where are we going? What's the matter?" Gene wanted to know as he pulled the car keys from his pocket and opened the door for her._

_Alex smiled cautiously as she got into the car. "We're going to get Molly," she smiled excitedly at him and her smile broadened as her phone beeped. She read the text from Evan that contained Peter Drake's address and she showed the phone to Gene. "We're going here," she explained and sat back._

_"Peter hasn't been home for a day and Molly's spooked. She called Evan because she hasn't got my number in her new phone and she knows Evan never changes his number. So Evan called me and we are going to get her," she grinned at him. "I'm getting my daughter back, Gene!"_

"_Well, that's fantastic, Bolls, but, well, any idea what happened to him, her dad?" Gene wanted to know as he hit the gas and the Quattro jumped away from the curb. _

_"That's what I'm worried about. If Molly's spooked then it's not normal," she said and worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "I suppose I should thank him though," she sighed._

_Gene drove rapidly to the address she'd shown him. He glanced over at her as they stopped behind a line of cars. "You are a copper, Bolls, get on the phone and find out what happened," he snorted in disgust._

_Alex rolled her eyes at him and whipped out her phone to make enquiries._

_Gene pulled up in front of the house with a screech of brakes and looked at Alex. _

"_We're here, let's go," he said shortly and got out of the car._

_Alex nodded and climbed out of the car and looked up at the house in front of her. Peter lived here? How did he afford it? Alex went up to the front door and rang the bell. No answer, she frowned and crouched down to look through the letter box. "Molls?" she called through the small gap. _

_"Molly."_

_Molly's head looked up at the sound of her Mum's voice and she ran full pelt to the front door, threw it open and flung herself into her mums arms. Alex hugged Molly tightly to her and buried her face in Molly's hair. _

_Molly hid her face in her Mum's shoulder. Alex pulled away from Molly and stroked the hair from her daughter's face gently. _

_"Molls? When did you last see your Dad?" she asked softly. Molly looked at her mum. _

_"Yesterday morning. He hasn't been home since, Mum! What if...if," she looked at Alex for an answer and was met by Alex arms pulling her into another hug._

_Gene peered in the door._

"_Bolls, call coming in for you. You might want to take this," he told her and held out her phone. He furrowed his brow in worry as he watched Alex's scared daughter huddle against her mother. So this __was Molly. He tried to smooth his features so he wouldn't look as frightening._

_Alex looked over at him, she had almost forgotten that he was there. She relaxed her arms around Molly and kissed her forehead as she stood up from her crouching position and took the phone from him, she looked down at Molly. "Molls, this is DCI Hunt, sweetheart," she said with a smile at her daughter as she answered the phone._

_Molly looked shyly up at Gene._

"_We'll find your dad," he told her seriously as he hunkered down next to her. "And we'll make sure you're safe until then," he told her gruffly and gave her a small smile. _

_He glanced over at Alex and tried to listen to what she was saying._

_Gene held out his hand for the phone. _

_"I'll find out where we need to go. You..." he trailed and shifted his eyes in Molly's direction before looking back at Alex. _

_Alex nodded morosely."I know I need to tell her Gene! But how am I supposed to tell her that her Dad is dead!" she rubbed her face and nodded "I think so, my brain cut out after they told me what had happened. I'll do it though. I'm not having Molly..." she shivered and shook her head. "I'll do it."_

_He caressed her face with his eyes as he took the phone from her and went outside to smoke while he spoke to the person on the phone._

_Alex nodded at him and turned back to Molly. She sighed as she placed her hands on Molly's shoulders and then stroked her hair as she looked down at her._

_"What's wrong, Mum?" the girl asked worriedly and placed a hand around Alex's wrist. "Please tell me," she pleaded._

_Alex let out a shaky breath and swallowed. "Molls, your dad..." she started and Molly's eyes went wide. "What happened!" she demanded. "He's okay isn't he?" Alex shook her head. "He's not okay, no," she said, her voice wobbly, she held it together, Molly needed her to be strong. That she could do._

_Molly bit her bottom lip and looked up at Alex for reassurance. "He'll be okay though? Right?" she asked desperately. Alex shook her head slowly. "No Molls. He's...Molly," she tried but Molly had pulled away shaking her head and placed her hands over her ears so she wouldn't have to hear "NO!" she yelled "NO!"_

_Molly turned around and ran back into the house, tears ran down her cheek. Her Mum was wrong, her Dad wasn't! He couldn't be! NO!_

_Molly ran straight into her Dad's room and went straight to his wardrobe. She pushed aside the clothes and huddled down inside it. She shut the doors with a snap and hid her face in her Dad's favourite shirt as she cried._

_Alex watched Molly go and felt her heart jolt. She clutched at her sides and started after Molly. She heard the footsteps stop upstairs and she made her way up to her ex-husband's bedroom._

/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\

_Gene leaned back against the wall outside and sighed. Poor Alex. He finished getting the instructions from the man on the phone and then went inside. He put her phone on her bag and saw her heading __upstairs._

"_Bolly, you stay here with her tonight. They said you can come tomorrow, that's fine. It's easier if I'm not here, so I'm going to head off. You call me if you need anything and I'll come by and pick you up in __the morning," he told her. He moved up a couple of steps and took her hand and kissed it then squeezed it. _

"_Take care," he said, looking into her eyes as he said it. _

_Alex nodded. "Will you go to mine and get me some clean clothes for when you pick us up?" she asked quietly as she turned on the stairs to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug and buried her face into his neck, drawing on his strength. _

_She sighed and let him go, planting a kiss on his cheek as she went. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said quietly and gave him a weak smile before retreating upstairs to find Molly._

_Gene held her tight as she hugged him and murmured "yes" when she asked him to bring her clothes. _

_He caught her lips in a quick kiss and let her go to find her daughter. He pulled the folded paper with the details for the flat he'd planned to get for them and looked at it with a sigh. He'd have to wait now. He folded it back up and put it in his pocket before heading back out to the Quattro, making sure to close the door behind him, and went back to his empty flat. _

_/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\_

_Rowan gave Alyssa a small wave and went with Ray out of the pub. She jumped as she saw Brian's form detach itself from the shadows outside the door. He looked steadily at Rowan and then shifted his gaze to Ray. He smiled coldly and leaned against the building as he finished his pint. Brian remained silent. _

_Rowan edged away, slipping behind Ray to get out of Brian's line of sight. _

_Brian smirked as he noticed Rowan's actions, then he looked at Ray again. _

"_She can't sing, but she sure can move, don't you agree?" he remarked conversationally. "Yes, she's very talented is little Rowena, aren't you?"_

_Rowan froze as Brian spoke and then panicked. She whimpered and then bolted down the street. Brian chuckled as she ran away._

_Ray's expression darkened and he didn't look as Rowan bolted. His hands were clenched into fists and it was taking all of his will power not to pummel this guy into mush._

_Why should he not? The man didn't deserve kindness or restraint._

_Ray took 4 strides forward and his hand found a grip around Brian's neck as he slammed the man into the side of the pub. "Don't come anywhere near her! Don't even look at her," he snarled as he tightened his hold around Brian's neck and cut off his air supply for a moment, he watched the man struggle to breath and loosened his hold after a minute, but kept his hand around his neck. "You don't speak to her, look at her, touch her or think about her!" he growled. "You leave her alone!" he warned. "Because I will do you some serious harm if you do anything to her!" he tightened his grip again and cut off Brian's air supply again. "Are we clear?" he growled._

_Brian frowned, but nodded, anything to stop this man choking him. So, she thought she had herself a protector did she? That didn't scare him. The moment the man's hands loosened he brought his hands __up and knocked the man's hands away and then punched him and shoved at him when he was off-balance. _

"_How very gallant," Brian sneered. "You don't scare me."_

_Ray smirked and pulled out his warrant. "I'm a police officer," he said simply. "Go anywhere near her and I'll have you done," he smirked. "I'm sure I can find a charge suitable for you, have you chucked in a cell somewhere," he threatened. "After I accidentally lock you in the local station with a big bloke that doesn't share," he smiled. "We'll see how well you come out of that one," he said with a gleam in his eye._

_Brian's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. Shit, he'd just punched a cop. That could be bad. _

_He listened to Ray's warning, realizing the man wasn't going to do anything to him. Clearly all talk. _

"_I'll avoid Rowena, you can set her little mind at ease, but you better make sure she stays away from me. She'll want me back, you can count on that. I'm sure she's missed me terribly," he gloated then gave Ray a salute before picking up his pint glass and draining it._

_Ray growled low in his throat at Brian. The sadistic twat had not only scared Rowan half to death, but he was the reason for the blemishes all over her beautiful body. His fists clenched again. The guy had punched him, he had grounds to arrest him and now he was being taunted. He seized Brian's collar, pulled out his cuffs and snapped them around his wrists. He snarled once more as he dragged Brian to the station._

_"I think, that removing you from the picture will solve the problem," he smirked._

_Brian moved along quietly, he knew better than to struggle. He'd be locked up for the night and then they'd let him go. This man was only trying to scare him. He'd be out and then he'd find his little Rowena and teach her a lesson she'd never forget. He kept that in front of him and kept his behavior in check as he was processed._

_Ray left Brian in the capable hands of the PCs at Walford station. He hurried back to the flat and spotted Alyssa and Jack coming along. Alyssa dug in her pocket and chucked him her keys and caught the door as he held it for them and watched him hurry upstairs and wedge the door to the flat open for them, too._

_Ray looked around the flat and put Alyssa's key on the kitchen table. "Rowan?" he called out gently._

_Rowan huddled in the corner between the wardrobe and the wall in her bedroom. She had shut the bedroom door, but it didn't lock, so she could only wait. She thought she heard someone calling her name, but she couldn't move. It might be Brian. But it might be Ray. Ray said he would protect her. She crept out of her corner and slipped quietly to the door, her bare feet making no sound. She carefully and quietly opened her door a crack and peered out. She inhaled a long, quiet breath and smelled Ray's cologne. She slipped down the hall and saw Ray in the kitchen and hurled herself at him. _

_She pressed herself to him and buried her face in his chest._

_After a few minutes, she looked up at him. All her fear was gone, replaced by her want and need for Ray. She'd completely fallen for him now. _

"_I don't suppose you'd mind taking your clothes off now, so I can thank you properly?" she asked and smiled at him hopefully._

_/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\_

_Alyssa looked up at him from her pie and raised an eyebrow. Choice: Spend the night in the flat with Rowan and Ray and be on her own, or, spend the night with Jack at his place. Well, difficult choice!_

_Alyssa nodded at him with a small smile. "Yes," she said looking into his eyes. "I would."_

_Jack cleared his throat and nodded. Was he really doing this? He was. Would it ruin things? He wasn't sure but...he looked at Alyssa's big green eyes staring into his own and decided the risk was worth it to see those eyes looking at him in the morning. _

_He finished his pie and drained the last of his coffee. "Ready when you are," he said and smiled._

_Alyssa picked up her last forkful and ate the last of her pie. She smiled at him as she put the fork back down on the plate and picked up her stuff. "Let's go then," she smiled at him as she stood up._

_Jack smiled and led her out to the car and then drove her to his flat. He was worried for a moment before letting her inside but remembered he had tidied up. He ushered her inside and shut the door._

"_So, something to drink?" he asked her, still unsure of himself. "We can watch tele or whatever you want."_

_He cleared his throat again and shoved his hands in his pockets. He hoped she might sleep with him, but he didn't want her to think that was all that was on his mind, even if at that moment, it was. The sight of her in that dress was hard to ignore._

_Alyssa looked around his home interestedly. She was a little surprised at how tidy it was, but pleased all the same. _

_She turned to face him and bit her bottom lip to hold back the smile. Was he nervous? That could be easily sorted. She stepped closer to him and slid her arms around his neck, holding his gaze. _

_She let her smile spread over her face before kissing him softly for a moment and studying him. _

_"Or whatever," she agreed with a smile._

_Jack pulled her to him and kissed her hard. She felt so perfect against him. He'd been alone too long, but here was this wonderful woman, and he thought she was worth the wait. He moved her towards the couch, unable and unwilling to release her lips. He eased her back on the couch, his hands then moving to the hem of her dress and pushing it up, his hands sliding over the soft skin of her legs. He hooked his fingers into the waist of her knickers and slid them down, breaking off the kiss and leaning back to pull them off her all the way. He leaned between her legs and slid his hands along her thighs and up, pushing the dress up further and running his hands over her breasts. _

_He met her gaze again before dipping his head between her legs. He wanted this to last and he wasn't sure how long he could._

_Alyssa gasped out his name as she shut her eyes and pulled the dress off completely and dropped it on the floor. This man was incredible, not only was he gorgeous and charming with the most intoxicating voice, but he wasn't arrogant, he had seemed insecure and almost nervous a few moments ago, but had completely let go of whatever had been making him like that once she had made the first move. She didn't care though, the only thing she could concentrate on was the sensations that he was creating and a small moan escaped her as she threw her head back, her breathing now short and shallow as he pushed her closer and closer to the brink._

_Jack pushed her over the edge and then climbed up and thrust hard into her. He pulled the dress off over her head and ran his hands over her before he fastened his lips on hers and held her hips tight as he carried them both away._

_/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\_

_Ray grinned at her then took his shirt off as she asked, pulled off his socks and trousers and stood before her, clad in just his boxers. He frowned. "Well, this is hardly fair," he huffed and lifted her arms into the air above her head and took the top off her and then slid the skirt and leggings down her legs. He appraised her hungrily with his eyes and grinned at her again. "Much better. But you're still wearing too much, Rowan," he sighed as he rolled her onto her back and peeled off her bra._

_Rowan chuckled as Ray manhandled her clothes off. When he'd got her down to her knickers she quickly rolled across the bed away from him and got up. _

_"I wasn't done, yet," she informed him and grabbed his hands before he could touch her and put them at his sides. _

_"No touching, it's my turn," she said, her tone bossy, but playful. She then began to slide her hands over his chest and sides, shoulders and arms, admiring him. She moved around him, her hands roaming his broad, muscular back, occasionally pressing kisses to his warm flesh. _

_"You're wearing too much," she noted and slid her hands under the waist of his boxers and slid them down. She moved around in front of him again and looked him up and down and smiled before she put her hands on his chest and pushed him to the bed. _

_"Sit," she ordered. She stepped close to him, gazed at him a moment and then dropped gracefully to her knees. She put her hands on his thighs and after one final glance, bent and took him in her mouth. _

_Ray let out a throaty groan and grabbed fistfuls of duvet in his hands as he rolled his eyes shut. That had been unexpected, but it felt amazing. "Christ, Rowan," he moaned as he opened his eyes and looked down at her. One hand unclenched and he wound a lock of her hair around his finger gently as his head fell back._

_Rowan noticed him look at her and made a production of caressing him with her tongue before taking him to the back of her throat. She altered her breathing and kept her throat relaxed as she began to move. She ran her hands over his thighs and listened to him as she increased her speed and kept the pace steady. She had no intention of stopping until he was over the edge. _

_It was thrilling her beyond belief, doing this to him. She couldn't get enough of him. _

_Ray let out another strangled groan as she did something incredible with her tongue. _

_"Rowan," he managed as he felt his body tense as a familiar feeling shot through his body and his orgasm hit. _

_Rowan held still and kept her lips tight around him until he finished then slowly eased him from her mouth. She stood up and looked at him a moment. "I'll go get us some water," she said and padded into the kitchen. She quickly filled two glasses with water and carried them back into the bedroom. _

_She held a glass out to him as she drained one herself and sighed. She put the empty glass down on the table and quickly slipped off her knickers and climbed onto the bed. She knelt behind him, slid an arm around his neck and draped it down his chest and leaned against him and kissed his along his shoulder, up his neck and then the lobe of his ear. _

"_Now what?" she breathed in his ear and kissed his neck again. She wondered idly if it might be her turn and felt a shiver at the idea. She was ready for whatever he wanted. _

_Ray downed his water and realised how much he had needed it, his throat had felt decidedly dry before. Not that he had noticed, he was too busy coming down from his high. His eyes blackened as she __took her remaining clothes off, he closed his eyes as he felt her near his ear and a low growl formed in his throat as he turned and made her lie back on the bed. He peppered kisses down her neck and then lifted his head to look down at her. "My turn," he replied simply as his put his head back down and __kissed his way down her body and then between her legs and set about making her moan._

_Rowan couldn't hold back her reaction at the sensations he created. Brian had done a lot of things to her, but never this. The two men she'd been with after Brian hadn't bothered with this either. Chris had offered, but she'd had other things on her mind the one time they'd been together. _

_She couldn't even think of words to describe…words failed her. She did the only thing she could do, she let go, slammed her head back into the pillow and shrieked his name. _

**And then she woke up…**


	21. Chapter 21

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road, or Doctors

**Chapter 21**

Rowan woke in the hospital. She glanced over at the IV tube hanging to the ground. She vaguely remembered removing from her hand, but not why she had. She sat up and looked around. Why was no one sitting with her? She shrugged and touched her shoulder and winced. They were letting her out today.

She got up and grabbed her bag from the floor and pulled out her phone. 7am. She scrolled through her contacts and called Alyssa.

/\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\

Jack heard Alyssa's phone ringing and reached over and grabbed it up.

"Alyssa's phone," he answered, noting his voice sounded better than it had yesterday. He reached over and gently shook Alyssa's arm.

"Lyss, it's Rowan."

/\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\

Chris woke and rolled over and slipped his arm around Shaz' waist, kissing her neck as he did so.

In two more weeks, they would be married and maybe living in Essex. That was what Shaz said she wanted at any rate.

Shaz sighed happily and leant back against Chris with a smile she placed her hands over the top of his as he held her. Two weeks, just two weeks. She turned in his arms and slid her arms around him, holding him to her happily as she dozed off again.

Chris nudged Shaz. "We should get up and go to work. The Guv won't be happy if we're late," he told her. "He already thinks we're deserting him."

He grinned at her and kissed her nose.

Shaz chuckled. "Moving to Essex isn't deserting. Besides, he'll get somebody new to bully, I mean," she corrected herself with a grin. "Break in."

/\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\

Ronnie finished making the tea and carried the mugs into the bedroom. She placed one on the table next to Jack and carried the other around to her side of the bed. She stroked her prominent bulge and sighed. The honeymoon had been fun, if a bit tiring. She was just glad she hadn't had any of the more negative symptoms. She'd been able to thoroughly enjoy herself.

She wondered idly how Sarah had done with the club while she and Jack had been away.

/\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\

Alyssa opened her eyes blearily and took the phone from him with a grumble. "Ro?" she asked sleepily. "What's up?" she continued as she fell back onto the pillows. She rubbed at her eyes and caught sight of the clothes she had worn the day before. Rowan was still in hospital! "Oh God, RO! I'm sorry! Do you need picking up?" she apologised, mentally cursing herself for forgetting her best friend's predicament.

"Um, not yet, I just wasn't sure what the plan was today, my head is a little fuzzy, of course, I just woke up," Rowan said. She scrubbed at her face, annoyed at the fact she couldn't seem to think at all.

Jack leaned up on his arm.

"I thought Ray was picking her up? Does she need a ride?" he asked curiously.

Alyssa looked over at Jack as she held the phone a little away from her ear.

"Jack! You just woke me up, and I've only just remembered that she's in hospital. How am I supposed to remember what's happening," she pouted then pressed the phone back to her ear. "Jack's under the impression that Ray's picking you up," she said. "My brain doesn't function without caffeine," she sighed.

"Well I only just woke up too," Jack grumbled, "AND I've been ill and all," he added. He huffed and got out of bed and stomped downstairs to make tea.

"Okay, thanks, Lyss. I couldn't remember really, my mind seems to be a bit blank. I better let you go then and call Ray. Once I've seen the doctor I'll know when I'm out of here. You and Jack should come over to the restaurant for lunch, or just you if he can't get off work. I'll make sure JT makes something special," she offered.

Alyssa rolled her eyes at him as he left and she sat up in bed and leant against the headboard.

"Sure, he's going back in today, I think, he's moaning again so he must be feeling okay," she chuckled. "I'll see you for lunch then, Ro."

/\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\

Ray rolled over and then looked over at the clock, he grinned happily, Rowan was out of hospital today, he would be there to meet her and she would come home, finally. The place really wasn't the same without her around, he was pretty sure that he was dying of starvation, or at least getting withdrawal symptoms due to lack of food. He checked his phone and then rolled onto his front, his alarm wouldn't go off for at least another 20 minutes, he would get up then. Then see Rowan. The bed felt empty without her, as did his arms.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Gene woke and looked around at the empty bedroom. Surely this wasn't right. Alex was gone again. She never stayed anymore. He'd given up finding them a place to share. He'd found one that was perfect. Close to the station, but not too close and not too close to the Square.

But Molly had been grieving and she also had seemed to take a dislike to him after their initial meeting. He sighed. So Molly came first, every time. He tried to understand it, but he hated not having her around.

He climbed out of bed and padded to the kitchen to make some tea.

He'd found this flat, upstairs from Chris and just down the road from two of his other officers, Rhys and Ginger. Though Ginger had moved to the Square now and Rhys' rowdy sister had moved in with him. He shook his head and drank his tea and went to get ready for work.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Alex woke up. Her arms were full of Molly and the little girl was having a nightmare again. They were a regular occurrence and had been ever since they had told Molly what had happened to her Dad. Since then, Molly had hated Gene without cause and done everything she could to make life difficult for Gene and herself. Alex was growing tired of it. She wanted Gene in bed next to her, but Molly would throw a tantrum big enough to rival Everest and that would be the end of that. They barely saw each other at all because Alex was at home with Molly on compassionate leave.

She missed him inexplicably. Once Molly was asleep, the only thing that Alex wanted to do was see Gene and be held in his arms. But there were obvious flaws in that dream.

She rubbed soothing circles on Molly back and held her until she settled down and the nightmare left her. Alex dropped her head on the pillow again. One night away. With Gene. That's all she wanted. Surely it wasn't too much to ask. But it was. Molly got upset when she wasn't there. Alex felt drained.

Alex let go of Molly and left her curled up in bed. She sighed as she ran her hands through her hair, she was beginning to feel trapped, she wanted to be at work. She wanted Molly to feel safe and happy enough so that Alex could leave her. She missed work. She missed Gene.

Alex went through and made herself a cup of strong coffee. 7 Months. 7 long months and Molly was still acting how she was when they had took her from Pete's house. Alex was beginning to wonder whether it was time to call and make an appointment with a psychiatrist. She couldn't analyse her own daughter. Her gaze drifted to the clock. Molly would wake up at 8am. It was the same every morning, just as the clock turned 8 she would sit up and go to the bathroom for a shower. Twenty minutes. Alex sighed and drained her coffee then made her way to the shower.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Rowan flipped the phone closed as the doctor came in. He checked her over, checked her wound and tutted her when he saw she'd removed her IV.

"Well, no ill effects and you seem to have recovered well from your blood loss. I'll send the paperwork over right away, no reason for you to stay any longer. But if you have any problems you come back right away."

Rowan nodded and climbed from the bed when the doctor left and pulled the long dark blue, long sleeved top and jeans she'd had Alyssa bring for her from the bag and got dressed. Then she flipped open her phone and called Ray.

Just thinking his name brought a smile to her face. He really was an amazing man. She still remembered the night he'd come to find her and tell her he'd locked up Brian. That had been a treat. But then Ray had found out some of Brian's past and Rowan had been shocked. Wanted for murder in Sheffield! Watching Brian get sent down for murder had been quite a day!

She remembered when he'd got that little flat above the sari shop. She'd ended up spending more time there than at her own flat. Then Jane had come back to everyone's surprise and divorced Ian. She'd got the building with the flats in it and then surprised Rowan by offering her a tidy sum to buy the cafe back.

Rowan had readily agreed. She'd found her own great little restaurant with a lovely flat over it. And Alyssa had moved in with Jack in his lovely house. They would be getting married in summer.

Selling Jane the cafe meant she would have enough money to get it.

Then she'd promptly asked Ray to move in with her. His face! It still made her chuckle.

Then one of her Kin had called, Junior. His brother had got into some trouble and Gem had suggested he call Rowan to see if he could send JT to her and get him away for awhile. Ray didn't seem to mind so she'd agreed and also took Junior's offer to buy her parents' house.

She liked it here too much, with her restaurant and her flat and most of all, Ray. Though she would be happy anywhere as long as he was there, too.

Rowan listened to the phone ring out and waited to hear Ray's voice.

Ray grunted and rolled over. That had not been twenty minutes, of that he was sure! He picked up the phone and realised that it was a phone call, not his alarm. He blearily looked at the number and then hastily pressed it to his ear

"Rowan?" he said "You alright? What time is it?" he added with a small grumble as he fumbled around for his clock.

"I'm fine, so says the doctor. He's just left. Just waiting on the paperwork and then I'm free," she told him cheerfully, loving the sound of his voice when it was thick with sleep. She relaxed on the bed and smiled.

"So, what are you wearing?" she asked him, making her tone low and seductive.

Ray chuckled and peered under the sheet. "Ummmmmmm, a duvet, annnnnnnnd, yeah. That's pretty much it," he finished with a grin. "What about you?" he asked, smiling, then sighed. "I wish you were here Ro, I miss holding you," he confessed to her, his smile fading.

"Ooooo, yummy," Rowan remarked then chuckled. "I'm actually fully dressed and ready for the papers to get here so I can go," she told him.

"I miss you, too." she said softly. "So why don't you get off your lazy bum and come get us out of here," she whined, imitating his accent as she did so. She climbed off the bed and went to the door to peer out. "Hurry, acuisle, I think the nurse is coming with the paperwork now," she told him, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Oh, and don't forget JT has opened the restaurant today. So don't freak out when you see him and Syed in the restaurant," she warned him.

Ray grumbled as he climbed out of bed. "Keep you hair on. I'm coming," he planted his feet on the floor and stretched languorously. "See!" he mumbled. "Out of bed, Rowan, I need a shower and as much as I would love to stay on the phone to you I don't think my phone agrees with water. I'll text you when I'm on my way," he told her as he fought back a yawn.

Rowan chuckled. "No, I can't see, but I can well imagine," she said, her tone going flirtatious again. She whispered what she planned to do when she did see him and grinned, knowing it would drive him crazy.

"I'll be watching for it," she told him. "Love you," she added and flipped her phone shut. She heaved a great breath when the nurse came in with her paperwork. She was glad to see it wasn't the nurse who'd been here last night. That woman had been creepy, though Rowan couldn't put her finger on why.

She hurriedly dug out a pen and got to work on the paperwork, fully intending to be outside and ready to go by the time Ray arrived. She just wished yesterday hadn't been his day off. She would love to just cuddle up with him on the couch, his strong arms around her. She just hoped he didn't blame himself for what happened to her.

He always protected her, this time it was her turn to protect someone else. She'd seen the flash of the gunman's aura and had just enough time to jump up and shove a sobbing Ffion aside to keep her from getting hurt. If it was anyone's fault, it was Ffion's brother, Rhys. Ffion never would have gotten up and tried to run in the first place if he had just left her alone. Rowan sighed and set herself to the paperwork again.

When she'd finished all of it she turned it in at the desk, took copies the woman handed her and hurried outside. She needed a cigarette and she needed Ray, in whichever order they occurred. She burst out the door and took a deep, grateful breath to flush the smell of the hospital from her nostrils and fished her cigarettes out of her bag and lit up when she was far enough from the door and then watched out for Ray.

She had debated a long while about it, but finally made the decision to get them a decent car for the holiday. She had the money Junior was paying her for the house and so it wouldn't set them back too badly. His face when he'd seen it! It wasn't quite as snazzy as Gene's Quattro, but it was decent. She held her phone and watched the screen, trying to see if she could predict when the text would come.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Ffion kissed Bradley and left his flat with a quick wave. She was glad he'd turned out to be the father. She had loved Gerald in a way, but he was gone. Whether because his Ice Queen of a wife had turned up, or because the baby ended up not being his, she didn't know.

Bradley wanted her to move in with him now that he had his Uncle Jack's old flat. Jack had married his girlfriend, Ronnie and moved in with her in her flat over on George Street.

Ffion hoped Rhys wouldn't be too hurt by her moving out as well. He'd find a new flatmate quick enough. And he was never lonely for company for long either. She broke into a jog. She had a lot to do before work.

Ffion eyed the girl her brother had spent the night with as she hurried from the flat and shook her head. She herself was hardly a saint, but at least she didn't bring them home with her. Probably for the best since her brother seemed to bring his home. She hurriedly got ready for work and headed over to the restaurant.

She saw James on his way and waved and sped up to walk with him.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Gene got to the station and looked at Alex's empty desk. She'd been on and off work for nearly 7 months now, since Molly's father had died and Alex had brought the girl to live with her.

He considered calling her. The incident at the cafe had shown him how badly they needed Alex's skills. And although Ray had improved greatly, Gene was aware he needed another DI, especially one with Alex's authority. Although, Ray was becoming more respected the more he took on in Alex's absence.

And being with Rowan, who provided great food to the station, also gave him a good boost.

He went outside to smoke and tried not to think about her.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

JT let himself and Syed into the restaurant and immediately got to work. Rowan hadn't wanted him to open up while she was in the hospital and the carpet had needed cleaning anyway. They got the baking started and then set about moving all the tables and chairs back where they belonged.

"So, is Ffion coming in today?" Syed wanted to know.

"James is for sure. I don't see why she wouldn't. Hopefully she won't fawn all over Rowan for saving her."

"How did Rowan know the guy was even planning to turn his gun on Fee?" Syed wanted to know.

"She just did. It would take too long to explain and I ain't sure you would believe me anyway," JT grinned and went back into the kitchen.

/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Chris rolled out of bed since Shaz wasn't moving and jumped in the shower first.

When he finished, he wrapped the towel around his waist and went back into the bedroom to get some clothes. He looked at the motionless lump that was Shaz still in bed.

He went over and pulled the covers off her and stuck his hands on his hips.

"Get up and I'll start the tea," he told her.

Shaz rolled onto her back, put her hands on her hips and pouted at him. "What if I don't want to get up?"

Chris eyed her and smiled before leaping onto the bed next to her.

"I'll make sure the Guv tortures you before locking you up," he threatened her. "And I'll make sure he locks you up long enough to miss your Hen do and I don't think Alex or your sister will be very happy with you," he added and then kissed her before climbing off the bed. "Now, let's move it."

Shaz chuckled, but leapt out of bed. She wouldn't put it past Chris to do something like that, and the last thing she wanted was Michelle on her case, not to mention Alex. Though, her DI was far more likely to lay into Chris rather than her.

Chris stood outside and smoked as he waited for Shaz to get ready. He'd cut way back since he promised her he'd try to quit again.

Shaz got ready as quickly as she could, she didn't want the Guv breathing down their necks more than he was. She finished drying her hair and grabbed a slice of toast as she ran out of the house and smiled at Chris.

Chris hurried after her and caught her hand as they walked to the station.

"So, only two more weeks. Do we have any appointments this weekend for looking at places to live? I made sure to get the whole weekend off just in case. Rhys was willing to cover the shift for me. Oh, and be prepared to be proud. I got all the confirmations for the hotel in Cardiff for our honeymoon. So, we are set," he told her, his tone slightly smug.

Shaz nodded at him. "We've got that one around 2 on Saturday, I think that it's for the one down the road off the High Street, with the big oak tree on the roundabout," she reminded him with a smile

He knew how much she wanted to go to Cardiff and even though he wasn't as avid a fan of her shows, he would happily do it for her.

Shaz flung her arms around his neck at his news about the Honeymoon.

"CHRIS!" she squealed in excitement. "That's fantastic!" she beamed at him and kissed him soundly before pulling back with a grin. "I love you," she laughed happily.

Chris looked at her. "That sounds like a good one, and it's not too close to your parent's house either," he remarked.

Chris held in a laugh at Shaz' reaction. "Hey, steady on!"

He looked down at her. "I love you, too. I also spoke to Bradley, and he's written down all the places to go for seeing where Dr. Who was filmed. He's done it already so thought he'd be the best person to ask."

Shaz grinned at him, "Don't worry, I promise to go to some places that you want to go to as well," she grinned. "But we are soooooooooooooooo going to Torchwood tower!" she beamed as she let go of him and resumed their walk to work.

Chris slung his arm around her shoulder.

"I want to do whatever you want to do, love," he told her and hurried up the steps to get the door.

Shaz rolled her eyes at him and chuckled lightly as she went into the station and made a beeline for her desk, so much work to do

/\\\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

Jack huffed around in good-natured indignation, getting the tea going and looking in the fridge for breakfast possibilities. He spotted the bacon and got that out and dropped several slices in the pan to get them cooking.

Alyssa noticed that Jack hadn't come back upstairs and clambered out of bed reluctantly. She grabbed her dressing gown and went downstairs. She grinned at the sight of Jack cooking and smiled at him. "I'm taking your moaning as a sign that you're feeling better," she grinned.

"I moan everyday," he told her, not taking his eyes from the bacon he was frying. "I suppose I'm feeling slightly better, but either way I'm hungry and I have to go back to school," he grouched. "Here, take over the bacon so I can get a shower. I have to leave soon," he kissed her forehead and gave her backside a quick smack and hurried upstairs to get ready for work.

Alyssa grabbed the spatula. She needed to get to work today too. Two unexpected days off wasn't fair on the others. But Jack had to be at school earlier than she had to be at the Salon. She frowned as she turned the bacon over: he better not have given her the lurgy!

Jack got ready for work, took some cold medicine and hurried back downstairs. He got himself some tea and then poured coffee for her and put it on the table with the bread. He grinned at her as he made his sandwich and then gave her a peck on the cheek before heading out.

"I'll try to get out for lunch, but I can't make any promises," he told her as he hurried out.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ray hurriedly got showered and dressed, now he had heard her voice he just wanted her back, here, at home, with him, in his arms preferably. He rubbed at his hair with a towel roughly to dry it; he sent off the text and grabbed a jacket and the car keys as he left the flat.

JT fixed up tea for Ray and coffee for Rowan and put them in cups to go and grinned at Ray and handed the cups over when Ray came downstairs.

"Rowan texted me you'd be down soon and demanded coffee for you to bring to her and tea for you," JT explained before heading back into the kitchen.

Ray waved at JT and Syed as he passed through the restaurant and mentally thanked Rowan for the warning; he grinned at JT and thanked him then took both drinks outside. He breathed in deeply as he got outside and felt the cool morning air refresh him more than his shower had. He opened the car with a grin, he remembered her showing it to him when she had got it. He grinned and put the two drinks into the most secure drinks holder he had and set off for the hospital.

Ray pulled up outside the tall, intimidating building and smiled as he spotted Rowan and got out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him and marched straight over to her. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him, breathing in the smell of her hair as he clutched her tightly to his chest. "Missed you," he mumbled quietly.

Rowan nearly bounced with excitement when she saw Ray striding towards her. She tossed aside her cigarette and wrapped her arms around him as he pulled her to him. She closed her eyes and smelled his clean, spicy smell that she loved. She was where she belonged. In his arms.

"Missed you, too," she said. She lifted her right hand and touched his cheek before sliding her fingers back into the thick softness of his hair. He was truly the best thing that had ever happened to her.

"Take me home," she finally told him and laced the fingers of her left hand with his fingers. "I need to sit with you for a bit and have some decent food."

She glanced back at the hospital once as they moved towards the car. She'd never been so glad to leave some place in her life.

She looked at Ray and smiled and slipped her fingers from his so she could get in the car. She exclaimed with pleasure at the sight of the coffee and hurriedly picked it up to take a drink. She leaned back against the seat of the car and sighed with pleasure. Decent coffee.

Ray grinned at her as he started up the car and pushed his cup of tea towards her. He had no need for caffeine now. Ray gladly pulled away from the hospital and drove them back to the restaurant and parked the car in their little spot outside. He grabbed her bag from the back and slung it over his shoulder as he opened the door for her to get out and beamed. "Welcome home."

Rowan climbed out of the car and shut the door. She looked at Ray and then looked at her restaurant. She ran a hand down his arm.

"Do you have time for breakfast with me before you go to work?" she wanted to know as she moved towards the door. She opened it and held it open for him and followed him in. JT rushed out of the kitchen and grabbed Rowan up and spun her around.

"Glad to see you back, Auntie Ro!"

Rowan rolled her eyes and sighed. Why did people constantly feel they had to pick her up?

"Put me down," she said, her tone one of long-suffering patience. JT grinned and set her back on her feet as Ffion came over and caught Rowan in a hug.

"I'm so glad you're back," Ffion said, nearly in tears. "Are you okay?"

Rowan hugged her back and nodded. "I'm fine, how are you?"

Ffion put her lips to Rowan's ears. "Bradley is the father," she whispered and leaned back.

"I'm okay. Glad you're back."

"Me too, can you or James bring Ray and I some breakfast upstairs?"

Ffion nodded and hurried to the kitchen to take some food out to her tables. Syed came out and gave Rowan a quick hug.

"Good to see you back," he told her.

"Thanks, Sy."

She gave James a quick wave as he looked away from the table he was helping and nodded at her. Rowan looked at Ray.

"So, food ready soon, let's go up," she said and headed for the stairs to the flat.

Ray nodded at her with a grin, he was sure that the Guv would understand his being late, Rowan had just got out of hospital after taking a bullet to the shoulder, she warranted his attention. Besides, even though Alex was rarely at work there was always Chris, Rhys, Shaz and Ginger, it wasn't like he was understaffed! Ray grinned at Rowan employees as he passed through and followed her up to their home. The place felt so much more like home when she was around anyway, it felt strange without her.

He tossed her bag into their room and shut the door with a snap behind it as he turned to face her, he looked at her as he leaned against the wall next to the door and smiled at her happily, she was home and already bossing people about. He chuckled to himself and tilted his head as he looked at her. His heart was almost bursting with the joy he felt at seeing her back at home.

Rowan saw Ray smiling at her and walked over to him and leaned against him.

"So good to be home," she sighed. She took his hand and led him to the couch and sat him down. She settled herself on his lap and cuddled against him, leaning her head up to kiss him.

She broke off the kiss and met his gaze as she put a hand to his cheek. "What would I do without you? You know you're the best thing that's ever happened to me?"

Ray wrapped his arms tightly around her and hugged her close to him and kissed her forehead, he chuckled and grinned at her. "Do you know that before you I'd never had a proper relationship," he countered with a smile at her. "I'm glad you're home, Ro, it's not the same being here on my own," he confessed. "It's too empty," he squeezed her and nuzzled her neck gently, careful to mind out for her wound.

"Neither have I, I don't really count Brian," she told him. She slid a hand into his hair as he nuzzled her neck.

Ray growled low at the sound of Brian's name. He kissed along her jawline softly as he discarded her ex-husband's name. Brian was in prison for life, and no doubt getting the shit kicked out of him daily. He couldn't hurt Rowan or anyone else. "I love you, Ro," he murmured into her ear.

Rowan shivered at his words. She never tired of hearing him say it. "I love you, too," she whispered back around a lump in her throat. She wouldn't cry, it would upset him. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and sighed.

Ray could hear the footsteps coming up the stairs to the flat and sighed. They were about to be disturbed, by food. He chuckled lightly and kissed her as he waited for breakfast to arrive.

She turned away at the tap on the door.

"It's open," she called and a moment later the door opened and James brought in a tray.

"Wasting no time, I see," he teased and put the tray on the coffee table.

Rowan gave Ray a quick up and down look and then looked back at James.

"Can you blame me?"

James chuckled and winked at her as he left. Rowan leaned over and picked up the plates, handing one to Ray. She shifted herself off his lap slightly and leaned against the arm of the couch, leaving her legs draped over him.

"Decent food, can't beat it," she sighed around a mouthful of bacon.

Ray grinned and reached for some food of his own. At least now he wouldn't go hungry, his stomach rumbled in agreement and he frowned slightly before taking a huge bite of his breakfast.

Rowan smiled as she watched Ray eat and shook her head. She put her food down and just watched him.

"I hate that yesterday had to be your day off, timing couldn't be worse," she remarked.

Ray grunted through his mouthful and swallowed. "I'll try and get off early. It hasn't been busy lately and I've had plenty of time to catch up on paperwork. It's just minor stuff. There's no reason I can't get off earlier," he shrugged.

"If not, then come back here for lunch. I asked Alyssa to come, too, but I like having lunch with you everyday," she said and kissed his arm, careful not to dislodge his plate. The restaurant was close enough to the station that they could, and did, meet for lunch every day. She always tried to cook something new and special just for him since most evenings she was too tired from making dinner for other people to do more than heat leftovers up or throw together a salad, not that he ever seemed to mind.

She gnawed her lip a moment and contemplated what to make for lunch. She'd got a recipe recently for a nice chicken Dijon, she could make that with some wild rice. She nodded to herself. That would do.

"But let me know, I've planned a special meal and so I'll need to know when to make it," she told him. Even after all this time she still wanted to impress him. "If you're going to leave early then we'll just have something already made for lunch."

Ray raised his eyebrows. "You got out of hospital less than an hour ago and you're already planning a special meal?" he asked incredulously. "Do you ever relax Ro!" he grinned. "I'll try to get off early AND have lunch with you. I'll probably come to pick up the lunch orders from the station anyway," he shrugged.

She plucked a piece of bacon from her plate and ate it slowly, breaking it into pieces and eating each piece. She slipped a hand around his neck and pulled him close as she leaned towards him.

"And you can have me for pudding and all," she whispered.

He smirked at her and moved his face closer. "I fully intend to Rowan! You can count on it," he smiled and kissed her lips lightly then pulled right back with a grin and picked up his last slice of toast.

"Hardly an effort," Rowan shrugged. "There are people down there I can boss around," she gave him a cheesy grin. "I'll relax and save my strength for tonight," she told him. "I have a feeling I'm going to need it," she added in a teasing tone.

She raised her eyebrow at Ray. She didn't remember Mr. Hunt making arrangements for her to do lunch for the station.

She knew her head was still a bit fuzzy from being in hospital and whatever drugs that nurse had given her, but surely she would remember something like that? Unless they were doing lunch today because she hadn't been sure she was going to open today and therefore no breakfast order had been submitted.

"Are we doing lunch today because we couldn't do breakfast?" she asked curiously, hoping that was right and that she wasn't losing her mind.

Ray shrugged and nodded. "I guess so!" he grinned. "They've been deprived from your cooking Ro, they're probably craving," he teased her with a chuckle.

"Well, don't tell them I didn't actually cook it then, with these hands," she laughed and held up her hands.

Ray placed his plate on the table and took hers away too. He pulled her back onto his lap with a smile. "Now, I reckon that I have about half an hour before I absolutely have to be in work," Ray chuckled at her and cradled her face in his hands.

"Before you absolutely have to be there?" she echoed. "Is that, as opposed to the highly recommended time that you be there?" she teased and leaned forward to kiss him.

Ray grinned at her and nodded. "Yes, actually," he retorted as he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers. He could quite happily say here all day, with her in his arms, just holding her. Work could wait, he couldn't.

Rowan slipped her arm around his neck and into his hair, running her fingers through his curls as he kissed her. She found herself wanting him desperately, it had been two whole days.

But she would not make him late to work, though she knew he already was. She melted against him and enjoyed being back in his arms until he had to leave.

Ray finally loosened his grip on her and glanced at the time. He was well and truly late for work now. He sighed and regretfully let go of her completely. "Now I really do have to go," he grumbled to her as he gently shifted her off his lap and then smiled. "I'm looking forward to pudding," he said with a grin as he hurried to work

"Me too," she said and watched him leave. She bit her lip then picked up her plate and ate the rest of her breakfast. It was cold but she didn't care, it had been worth it. When she finished, she took the plates downstairs and sat and chatted with JT and Syed for a bit while they cooked and prepped the chicken she planned to cook for lunch. JT had agreed to help her cook it.

She went back upstairs and started tidying the flat. She vacuumed in JT's empty room and hoped once again Roxy wasn't seeing him just to annoy her. He didn't deserve it. She wondered if she should take Roxy aside and have a talk with her. She'd thought of doing it several times over the past few months, ever since JT had seemingly moved in with Roxy, but something always came up.

Rowan rubbed her forehead and finished the cleaning. She went slow and took a few breaks so as not to overdo it. She did not want to be too tired for later. She rummaged in her drawers and found the lingerie she'd bought once when she'd gone shopping with Alyssa but never had the guts to wear.

She had changed her clothing a bit, not wearing shapeless things and wearing the occasional low cut top, even though the way Ray looked at her made her feel beautiful. She'd never really understood lingerie.

But, if she was going to be 'pudding', maybe she should dress it up a bit. She put the things back in the drawer and decided to have a long bath after lunch and tart herself up a bit. The bandage would detract a bit, but it would be fine.

She and Ray had never been apart for long, and she wanted to make it special. She flopped on the couch and waited for lunchtime.

/\\\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\

Ronnie stood outside the salon and waited. She wanted to get her nails done and wanted Alyssa to look over some ideas for the baby's nursery. Jack was useless and Alex was still so often tied up with her daughter. Personally, Ronnie thought the girl needed some help. She knew about excessive grieving and what that teenager was going through wasn't healthy.

She bounced the laptop bag off her knees and hummed to herself, before glancing at her watch. Any minute now.

Alyssa waved at Ronnie as she drew close to the Salon and opened up. She smiled a confused smile at Ronnie. "Heya, Ron, I didn't know you had an appointment today," she frowned as she ran the appointments in her head, she was sure that she would remember if one of her friends had booked something.

Ronnie held out a hand.

"Nails desperately need doing, but I don't have an appointment. I also," Ronnie opened the bag and pulled out a book and opened it to show paint and wallpaper samples, "am in need of decorating advice."

She grinned at Alyssa.

"You'll help, right?"

Alyssa grinned. "I'm sure I can fit you in," she smiled as she opened the door and let Ronnie inside, "but until the girls get here, let's see what you want my opinion on."

Ronnie quickly pulled things out of the bag and opened books on the table.

"These are the paints I'm thinking, and the paper, and the carpet, so hard to choose though. Jack's useless with this and told me whatever I want is fine."

Ronnie sighed.

"Why do they have to make it so difficult? It's so simple!"

Alyssa looked at Ronnie's laptop with raised eyebrows. "I guess that's where I'm lucky, Jack had some strong opinions on how he wanted the house, we had to come to a compromise on half the décor, though I got my way when it came to the bedroom," she smiled mischievously at Ronnie as she skimmed through her ideas. "Do you know what colour you want or are you completely stumped?" she asked.

"Well, these are the shades I've narrowed it down to," Ronnie told her. "Would have helped so much if the baby had cooperated so I would know if I'm having a girl or boy. Anyway, what do you think?"

Alyssa leafed through Ronnie's colours and patterns and glanced up briefly as Maddie came in she offered the young girl a smile as she passed and went back to Ronnie's colours.

"Well, seeing as you don't know the sex of the baby these are good," she chewed her lip. "How about if you go with the green, you can do a lot, just don't go with white or magnolia," she cringed. "Magnolia is terrible!" she sighed and looked down again. "Yeah, green," she smiled.

"I was leaning more towards these shades of yellow," Ronnie said and pointed. "And I like this paper with the teddy bears, teddy bears are neutral right? And I like this pale, sort of fawn-colored carpet, goes with the bears," she grinned.

Alyssa chuckled. "If you've got it all sorted then why are you asking me?" she exclaimed with an amused smile. She pointed at the two variations of the teddy bear wallpaper she liked. "So, the pattern of teddies all over or the one with just the border through the middle?" she pressed.

"I just need a second opinion, and some help with the paint colors," Ronnie reassured. "I'm only going to do paper on one wall so whole wall of teddies should work, I think. The really hard part is I have nothing bought," she looked at Alyssa.

"I don't suppose you fancy shopping? When you're done for the day of course, I'll even throw in dinner," Ronnie gave her a toothy smile and waited expectantly.

Alyssa laughed. "Ronnie, the magic word was 'Shopping'! Of course I'll come with you", she smiled and grabbed her appointment book. "And..." she said as she scrolled her finger down the page. "We have a gap in an hour and a half if you want your nails done," she smiled.

"An hour and a half," Ronnie sighed. "Okay, I'll go to the cafe and get some breakfast. I'm so ridiculously hungry anymore," she remarked and stroked her belly. "So, when do you think you're gonna plan one of these?" she asked as she gestured at her bump.

Alyssa shook her head as she eyed Ronnie's baby bump. "I don't want kids," she confessed with a small shrug and grabbed a pen to write in Ronnie's appointment.

"Really?" Ronnie asked in surprise. "So, Jack doesn't want kids either, then?"

Of course, Jack did work with kids all day, maybe he didn't.

"Okay, so I'll see you later, then," Ronnie said and stuck her things back in the laptop bag before heading to the cafe.

Alyssa shrugged. It wasn't something that they had discussed. She smiled as she waved Ronnie off and officially opened the Salon.

/\\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alex was itching to get back to work, Molly was curled up around a cushion on the sofa and staring blankly at the TV screen and wearing one of her Dad's jumpers. Molly had broken down completely when Alex had tried to take Pete's clothes to a charity shop and Alex had reluctantly agreed to let Molly keep them. She hadn't seen her in any of her own tops for weeks, always one of Pete's shirts or one of his jumpers, or one of his t-shirts. Alex tapped her fingers on the counter and made up her mind. She grabbed her coat and tapped Molly's head. "I'm going into work for a few hours, Molls," at the panic on her daughter's face she sat down and cupped her chin. "Only a few hours, I'm on the other end of the phone okay, you need me you ring me, you know my number, I promise I'll pick up straight away," she kissed Molly's forehead and resolved to make her an appointment with a therapist. She needed to get her sorted, it was hurting both of them and it wasn't healthy.

"Mum, please," Molly said weakly, her eyes darting around in desperation. "Don't leave me."

Alex sighed. "Molly, we both know what happened last time you came to the station with me, I'm not going to risk you having another panic attack there," she sighed. "Stay here, watch a movie, eat some ice cream or whatever," she stroked Molly's fringe from her eyes. "Only a couple of hours, Molls," she reassured her.

Alex put a safe DVD in the player, she had gone through the DVDs and classified each one, the 'safe' DVD's were ones Molly could watch and not get upset, the others, well, they didn't get watched. She kissed Molly's forehead again and left the house after pressing the phone into Molly's hand.

Alex nearly sprinted to work, it felt so good to be out of the house, she felt guilty that she had to find a way to shake Molly off her, but she was drowning at home, she hated being trapped and home was beginning to make her feel claustrophobic. She sighed happily at Adam as she came into the station and went directly to her desk, she felt so out of the loop. Alex knocked on Gene's door and opened it. She felt stronger just looking at him. "I'm only in for a few hours, I left Molls on her own, I'm going to have to go if she calls me," she explained with a weary smile and then left his office and sat down at her desk.

Alex immediately pulled out a list of therapists she had been gradually compiling at work, there was no way she would have Molly freaking out over this list if she found it. She compared each one and then made an appointment with one. She needed Molly better and Alex couldn't fix her.

Gene looked up as Alex opened his door. He listened to what she said and watched her leave. That wouldn't do. He stood up and opened his office door.

"Get in here," he said to her. "Now, please."

Alex looked up at him and finished her phone call, she noted down Molly's appointment in her diary and stood up. She furrowed her brow at him as she followed him into his office. What was wrong now. She was in work wasn't she? She hadn't been for weeks! He knew about her dilemma, she was sorting it!

Gene shut the door behind her and quietly flipped the lock before pulling Alex to him and taking her lips in a devouring kiss. He pulled her close and hard against him, one hand running into her hair and the other down her front to rest on her breast.

He broke off the kiss and put his lips to her ear. "I need you, Bolly," he breathed, his voice harsh and thick with lust. "It's been too long, Bolls. I know she needs you, but I need you, too, in more ways than one, woman," he told her before putting his lips to the soft skin of her neck.

Alex shuddered and clutched at the front of his shirt. He was right, it had been too long. Far too long. She tilted her head with a soft sigh as she relaxed into him and pulled his head back up to hers. She studied his face for a moment then pressed her lips against his, hard!

Her hands flew to his waistband and she got started on the buckle of his trousers, pushing them down once they were loose. They landed with a small thump on the floor at his feet and she slipped her feet out of her shoes and nudged them aside as her arms went back around his neck and pulled him closer with a small moan of desire.

Gene groaned into the kiss and pulled at her clothes, he needed to touch her. He yearned for her desperately. He looked over her bare body, god he loved this woman!

"Oh, Bolly," he moaned and thrust into her. He slid a hand down her leg and pulled it up around his waist as he fastened his lips to her. He could never get enough of her.

Alex moaned and tightened her grip on him. She had missed him so much, Her hands undid the buttons on his shirt and she slid her hands underneath to touch his bare skin. She rested her forehead against his as her eyes closed and she met every movement he made.

Gene thrust hard, ramming into her, trying to take all he could from her. He gritted his teeth to bite back the urge to call out as he exploded within her. He dropped his forehead to her shoulder and panted for air.

"Oh, Alex, I need you," he rumbled and closed his eyes, unwilling to let her go. He wanted to stay inside her, joined with her, with his arms around her.

"So," Ginger asked as he walked in with a box of muffins from the cafe. "How are the almost-marrieds?"

He offered the box to Shaz and then to Chris.

"You know, I'm really torn. I don't know if I want to go to the stag or the hen night," he told them then looked at Shaz. "Will you be having a stripper?" and grinned.

Shaz grinned and looked at Chris slyly out of the corner of his eye. "Oh yes! Definitely! You can't have a Hen Do without a stripper," she laughed. "Especially if Michelle has anything to do with it," she laughed.

"Right, then," Ginger said and rubbed his hands together. "Sorry, mate," he said to Chris, "but I'm going to have to party with Shaz."

Chris shook with silent laughter and rolled his eyes. Shaz just might regret Ginger going along.

"We'll be fine ourselves, right Rhys?" Chris asked.

"Oh, no doubt about that," Rhys agreed. "Ray is getting you a stripper, right?"

Chris shrugged. "He's not telling us anything, goes all MI-5 if I even ask, so I've given up and all. You can give it a go if you've a mind too, but I'll just wait and see."

Chris looked over and winked at Shaz before turning back to the computer screen. He glanced up at Ginger. "Give us one of those muffins, mate if you're just going to stand there talking."

Ginger absently put the box down by Chris and continued to talk to Shaz, wanting to know if there was any chance Simon could come along.

Rhys got up to make some tea and brought the food list from the small kitchen.

"Did everyone get their lunch orders in? We really should fax this over," he announced as he headed back down the hall towards the main room. He glanced at the Guv's office and paused then stepped forward and shut the door to the room where Alex and Ray officed that one had to walk through to get to the Guv.

He gave an uncertain glance at everyone. "Um, looks like DI Drake is here but sounds like she's in a..." he trailed off for a moment, "meeting with the Guv," he finished and handed the lunch order list to Shaz.

/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\

Alex tangled her fingers in his hair as she held his head to her shoulder and tried to get her breath back. She couldn't believe that the feelings he evoked in her were so strong. She pressed small kisses to his head and reluctantly let go of him with a small sigh. "I know," she whispered.

Gene leaned back and looked at her.

"Please come spend the night with me tonight," he pleaded.

Alex shook her head. "I can't, Gene! Molly... I can't leave her all night," she said regretfully. "She's still having nightmares, she wakes up crying almost every night! I can't leave her on her own! She'll panic," she said as she looked up at him. "I can't."

"Bolls, this isn't healthy. You should have got her help months ago," Gene said and he hitched his trousers back up. "You should never have let this carry on so long."

Alex's eyes flashed dangerously at him as she dressed herself, "What am I supposed to do Gene! I'm a psychologist and I can't even help my own daughter through this! How do you think that makes me feel, it not only makes a huge dent in my pride but also makes me feel utterly helpless around her! She's still in the first few stages after all this time and I can't get her out of it! She gets terrified if I even mention leaving her, she refuses to let anyone else look after her, she gets nightmares every night and wakes up screaming and crying! I have to hold her while she sleeps to try and make her feel safe, she doesn't talk, she eats barely anything, she's always crying most of the time and refuses to let me throw any of Pete's things away, she hugs his bloody jumper all the time!" she rounded on him. "And _you_ think that _I_ don't know that it's not healthy! _I'm_ having to try and find a way through it Gene! _I'm_ the one who is having to get her through this and every time I mention a psychiatrist she throws a tantrum and breaks down!" she glared at him. "_You_ are not the one who feels your heart break every time you look at your daughter!" she snapped at him and threw on her jacket and slammed the door of his office behind her as she went to sit back down in her seat, she glanced briefly at Ray who was silent and tactfully didn't look at her.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\

Ronnie went to the cafe and had a decent breakfast and then went to the club and visited with Jack for awhile before going back to the salon to have her nails done. She smiled as she adjusted her dress and hair, it had been quite a nice visit.

She practically skipped as she came back into the salon.

"I'm ready," she trilled and grinned hugely at Alyssa.

Alyssa smiled at Ronnie and watched Kim come downstairs with her last client, she grinned "You're right on time, Ronnie," she smiled as she handed her friend over to Kim and handed the other woman her invoice.

Ronnie gave Alyssa a wink. "Some things don't take long do they," she giggled and followed Kim upstairs.

Ronnie thanked Kim when she'd finished her nails and went downstairs and handed her money over to Alyssa.

"So, I'll be back here around 4:30?" she asked.

Ronnie couldn't wait to go shopping. She probably should buy some new clothes too. Some of her loosest tops were getting snug.

Alyssa glanced at her phone and smiled. She sent one back saying yes.

Alyssa grinned and nodded. "Sure, see you then," she waved at Ronnie as she left then looked down at the time. She grabbed her bag and went off to the restaurant.

/\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\\\/\\/\\/\/\/\

Ray stumbled into the office and nodded his greeting at the rest of the team. He gave Chris a smirk, the guy wouldn't know what hit him when they finally got to the Stag Party. Ray only hoped that Shaz wouldn't kill him for doing what he was planning to do. Chris wouldn't get a choice. He winked at his best mate as he passed and went to settle at his desk, he frowned, Drake was here? Where?

He shook his head, stupid question, they hadn't seen her for weeks now, no doubt she was in with the Guv. He sighed, it wasn't the same around here without her, who was he supposed to wind up mercilessly when she wasn't about?

Chris gave Ray a quick nod as he passed. He wondered what Ray had planned for him and hoped it wasn't something Shaz would kill him for. He looked at Shaz.

Shaz raised a sceptical eyebrow at Chris but didn't comment, she was a little anxious about his Stag do, she knew what Ray could be like. She was anxious, but Chris was sensible, surely nothing too bad would happen.

Chris was tempted to go outside and smoke when he saw the Guv stalking off down the hall but he'd promised Shaz he would quit and he was doing his level best to keep his word. It wasn't as hard as he thought it would be.

Gene huffed as he fixed his clothes. This was ridiculous. She'd never failed to put him in his place, but it seemed she couldn't handle her own daughter. He decided to leave it, there wasn't much he could do about it. He dropped into his chair and pulled the bottle out of his drawer and poured himself a drink and knocked it back with a sigh.

He got up and stalked out of his office. He barely glanced at Alex as he stormed past and went outside to smoke.

Alex didn't glance at Gene as he left, but turned to look back at his office once he had gone, sure enough, there was the bottle sitting proudly on the desk, she sighed. Typical. Always drinking once he was upset or angry or didn't know what to do. Drinking and smoking. She sighed once more and jumped as her phone went off. Molly.

"Molls?" she said wearily without looking at Ray to receive whatever look he was planning on giving her. "What's wrong sweetheart?" Alex looked down at the note she had made in her work diary about the psychiatrist and held back a sigh; the appointment couldn't come soon enough. "Alright Molly, calm down. I'm on my way," Alex paused as she stood and switched everything off. "Yes, Molly, I'm sure, don't panic okay. It's probably nothing," she reassured her as she stalked out of the office with her phone glued to her ear, trying to console her daughter as she left work.

Gene came back inside and stormed down the hall and past Ray and Alex's desk. He looked at Ray.

"How's she doing? She got out of hospital today, didn't she?"

Ray nodded. "She's alright Guv, just not keen on being on her own, so, I was wondering whether I could leave early today?" he asked taking advantage of the situation.

Whitney hurried to the cafeteria for lunch and sat at the table where she and Brett always sat. She wondered if she should invite him back to hers again. It was always funny to see him and Jack around each other. She had to hide the fact though that she found it funny.

Whitney looked around and wondered where Brett was.

Brett finally reached the cafeteria and grabbed some food with a grumble of thanks. He had 3 essays to be in by next week, which meant he wouldn't be able to see Whitney as much as he had planned. He wiped the scowl from his face as he spotted her at their table and dropped into his seat opposite her.

"Sorry, the lecture ran over again," he apologised as he tore a chunk from his bread roll and stuffed into his mouth. He had missed almost half of his lunch break and he was starving.

"It's fine, I completely understand," she told him. "So, things are picking up since you started this project. It's amazing. And I used my practical project last week as the template for a new top and took the pattern to the place that's making the shirts now and you wouldn't believe how well it's doing!" she added excitedly.

Brett grinned at her. "I told you it was a good idea, Whit," he beamed at her proudly. "I'm halfway through my evaluation about the progress your business is making, I need to go over the figures again and include a copy in the folder for evidence that I'm not making all this up," he grinned.

"Can I borrow your laptop a minute? Tamwar set up some nice admin features for me and I can print out some good reports," she told him. "I can give you all the information off the website that you need. That's where I'm seeing the biggest jump," she told him and took a bite of her lunch.

Brett nodded and dug his laptop out of it's bag and started it up. He rolled his eyes and typed in his log on password then handed it to her so she could do whatever with it. He took a large gulp of his water as he watched her with a smile.

Whitney thanked him and set about getting onto the site and copied all the information he wanted and saved it on his computer.

"I'm not seeing as big a change on the stall, but you know," Whitney shrugged and smiled. "It's working though."

Brett grinned at her as he took his laptop back and looked over the information briefly. He shrugged "Whitney, come on, the only people that shop in Albert Square's Market are the people that live there and shop there every day! You won't get much more interest from that side of things, but the major retailers are drumming up a lot of publicity for you," he smiled and bite into an apple. "Besides, it gives me more to comment on if the stall isn't doing so well, we can think of ways to remedy it" he shrugged.

"I'm wondering if I wouldn't do better, and I mean this for later, but when I get some more projects under my belt that do as well as the top I'm selling on the site if maybe I shouldn't get rid of the stall and get a shop somewhere. But I don't think I'll be ready for that for awhile yet," Whitney added, "I need to wait until I get done at school for that I think, or at least nearly done. It would be too hard to do both."

Brett nodded encouragingly at her. "Good plan," he agreed with a grin. "A shop would be better than the stall, you'd be able to advertise more, you don't have the hassle of setting up and cleaning up after each day," he shrugged. "But like you said, you need to finished your course first, if you were at school AND running a shop then I'd never get to see you," he smiled.

"Well, that would never work!" Whitney said in mock-shock and grabbed one of his hands between hers. She tilted her head and batted her eyes. "I promise to wait," she fluttered and then flashed him a cheesy grin.

Brett chuckled at her, he squeezed her fingers and kissed her hands with a grin.

"So," Whitney said, removing one of her hands from his and twining the fingers of her remaining hand with his. "It's now my turn to ask you for help with a project. We did a top for women, now we have to do one for men," she raised her eyebrows at him hopefully and tried to look pathetic.

Brett couldn't hold back a laugh "And what has that got to do with me?" he asked innocently, a cocky grin materialising on his face.

"Well, you are a guy, yeah? So….can you help me out this weekend? Stand there and let me use you as my dummy?" she widened her eyes at him. "Please?"

Brett grinned at her and nodded. "Your place or mine?" he asked as he smiled at her and pushed his finished tray of food away from him.

Brett contemplated his options. His flat, which meant tidying it and getting it in a state that was acceptable. Option 2, her place. She was renting a room at Jack Rimmer's home.

That had been interesting when he had gone round there. Meeting his old head teacher had been a bundle of laughs. Jack looked as though he was going to have a heart attack. It had been his fiancé that had brought him back to earth. She had seemed nice, pretty. He looked up at Whitney and shrugged.

"If you come round mine then you'll have to deal with the mess," he told her. "But it'd be easier for me to go you, that way you'll have everything you need with you," he shrugged.

"Mine it is. How does Saturday afternoon work for you?" she asked. She kept her expression carefully neutral and turned back to her food.

Brett nodded. "Sure," he smiled as he tapped it into his phone calendar. "Any time in particular?" he prompted.

"What's good for you? If we get started early-ish we could go have lunch when we're done or if we do it later we could go have dinner?" Whitney shrugged. "I get up a bit early on Saturday and take my brothers and sister to the park for a bit to give B a break," she explained. "So, I'm free anytime after 10."

Brett nodded. "I think I'll be up by 10," he grinned at her as he set his alarm so he could guarantee he would be up and ready to go round to hers.

"Okay then," she said coyly and picked up her things. "I have to go to class now. I'll see you later or tomorrow?"

She leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

Brett nodded and smiled at her retreating figure before grabbing at his laptop and reading through the information she had got for him.

/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\\/\\

Rowan went down to the kitchen to supervise and help make lunch for herself, Alyssa and Ray. She had missed cooking so much when she was stuck in the hospital.

She texted Alyssa to make sure she was still coming and then texted Ray to see if he was coming for lunch, too. She would have preferred to have an hour alone with Ray, but she wanted to spend time with her friend, too. And it would be better to wait. She was going to make tonight as special as she could.

She opened the oven and checked on the chicken and then sat down to wait.

Rowan made sure the food was ready and helped JT and Syed get the lunches ready for the station while she was waiting for Alyssa and Ray to arrive.

Alyssa grinned at Rowan and JT as she skipped into the restaurant and gave Rowan a careful hug. "How're you?" she asked as she studied Rowan. "You look better," she commented with a smile.

"I feel better, I really do. I'm just so glad to be home," she said and gestured Alyssa to pick up one of the trays Rowan had put the plates and things for the lunch on. She picked up the other tray herself and led Alyssa upstairs.

She put her tray on the table and put the plates of food and the basket of bread off the tray and then the bowls of salad off the tray Alyssa had carried.

She set up the table and grabbed some cutlery from the drawer then got in the fridge. She got out a beer for Ray and looked at Alyssa.

"Coke or iced tea?"

"Coke," she smiled back as she took her seat at the table.

Rowan nodded and handed her a can and poured herself some iced tea and sat down.

"New recipe, hope you like it," she said as she gestured at the food. Go ahead and start, Ray will eat when he gets here if he's able to make it," she told Alyssa and started in on her food.

/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\

Ronnie went back to the club and worked on the paperwork while Jack supervised a delivery.

/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\

Rhys grabbed Ginger. "Let's go get the food." Ginger stopped and stuck his head in and looked at Ray and Gene.

"Rhys and I are going to get the lunches, we'll be back soon," he said.

Gene looked at Ray steadily for a minute and then nodded.

Ginger nodded at Ray as he looked up and stood up.

"I'll take my lunch break now, Guv," Ray said quickly as he hurried after Rhys and Ginger and followed them out. They walked through the doors and down the hall.

"Just consider yourself done for the day, Carling," Gene called after him. It would be pointless for Ray to stay here when his mind clearly wasn't on his job.

Rhys and Ginger talked and joked as they walked along. Rhys hung back a moment.

"Is there anything I can do to thank Rowan for what she did for Ffion? Turns out Bradley is the father so at least that's something," he remarked.

Ray grinned as he heard Gene call after him. Though it would mean he was down two DIs, he sighed. They rarely saw Alex anymore and when they did she looked awful. He spotted Rhys and Ginger ambling along and overtook them with a grin.

/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\

Ray called out hello to Syed and JT as he rushed upstairs. He smiled at Alyssa and Rowan as he saw them at the table and planted a kiss on Rowan's cheek before taking his seat next to her and cracking open his beer. "So, Guv gave me the rest of the day off work," he smiled at her.

"That was nice of him," Rowan said and bit her lip. That was going to make her plans slightly more difficult, but she could manage. She couldn't wait to see his face. She'd danced a bit for him that first night, and then she'd been very drunk at Chris and Shaz' engagement party and had done some dancing then, too. But she intended to go just a bit farther this time. She couldn't wait. She could barely contain the glee in her eyes and quickly turned to Alyssa.

"So, what do you think?" she asked curiously with a gesture at the plate.

Alyssa nodded and tucked into the food. It amazed her how Rowan had got out of hospital a few mere hours ago yet still managed to throw together delicious food like this! She didn't argue about it though. Just accepted and ate her fill.

Ray smiled at her and took another large swig of his drink, then grabbed at some cutlery and tucked into his lunch greedily.

Alyssa swallowed her mouthful with a huge grin. "Definitely another triumph!" she exclaimed. "Will you put this on the menu?"

Ray grunted in agreement around a large mouthful.

Rowan bit back a laugh at Ray and looked at Alyssa. "I might. I didn't do all the work though. JT helped a lot. I wasn't up to doing all the work myself," she gestured at towards her shoulder. "It hurts to stretch too much there and you know I don't like to take those painkillers," she explained and took another bite.

She looked at Ray then. "So, are Chris and Shaz really moving to Essex after the wedding?" she wanted to know. "I'm really going to miss our Geek Girl nights," she sighed. Rowan had grown to see Shaz as a friend almost as close as Alyssa. It had been fun when one night, Chris and Ray and the men had gone to the pub and Rowan and Shaz found themselves at loose ends and started Geek Girl night after a phone conversation where they bonded over Dr. Who.

She loved spending time with Ray, but even he had to admit they needed the occasional night with just their friends away from each other. Though she was trying hard to understand football and watch it with him, although they did need to stop kissing to celebrate every time his team got a goal, he was missing too much of the game. Rowan didn't mind. His enthusiasm was so infectious she'd come to enjoy watching it, even if she didn't entirely understand it.

/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\

Jack sat at his desk eating a tuna sandwich with little enthusiasm. He picked up his phone and sent off a text to Alyssa.

"How's lunch with Rowan? *jealous*"

/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\

Alyssa nodded. "Not the point, Ro," she smiled. "It's delicious."

Ray shrugged. "Looks that way," he sighed. He would miss his best mate tremendously once he had left for Essex with Shaz. But, there was always Gene and Jack if he wanted a drinking buddy. Even if he had found out that Jack supported the opposite team to him, the competition at work when it was City vs United, with him and Gene placing bets on the score. Now, Jack had turned up supporting the same team as Gene the rivalry had spread to the pub. With Chris gone he wouldn't have back up.

Ray grinned, the stag would be good though, he had almost everything planned. While Michelle, and in theory, Alex, were planning some soppy hen do for Shaz he was planning a stag to remember, as long as they didn't get too pissed, which they would. He smiled as he ran his plans through his mind, at least Shaz had ordered the Stag and Hen to be 3 days before the wedding, rather than the night before. He still had 10 days to finalise everything.

/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\

Alyssa smiled at the text "New Recipe! Big Yum! Xx"

/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\

"Boring tuna sand ***sigh***" Jack sent back.

/\\\/\\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\\\

Alyssa stretched as she finished eating and checked the time. She chewed her lip and carried her plate and cutlery to the sink. "I've got to get back, Ro, Gayna needs her lunch break," she smiled as she dropped a kiss on her cheek.

"Well, I'm glad you like it," Rowan smiled and finished her food.

"Thanks for lunch, I'll see you later," she grinned and patted Ray's head as she left.

"Okay, well, you're welcome for lunch. See you."

Ray scowled after her and ran a hand through his hair to sort it out, she'd gone and flattened it down. He grunted his goodbye.

Rowan picked up her dishes and put them in the sink and started the washing up.

"I hope you're not going to do something too horrifying to Chris. Shaz is worried you know," Rowan remarked and glanced over her shoulder at Ray. She'd seen that smile, it was his "up to no good" smile. She raised an eyebrow at him before turning back to the sink and the dishes.

She finished hers and Alyssa's and walked back over to the table and picked up Ray's now empty plate. She put a fond hand on his cheek and traced his lips with her thumb and smiled.

"Let's go sit on the couch and find something you want to watch while I use you as a pillow and have a nap," she suggested and pressed a quick, soft kiss to his lips before carrying his dishes to the sink and quickly washing them. She stuck them on the drainer, content to let them air dry and headed for the couch. She picked up the remote from the end table and held it out to him expectantly.

Ray raised his eyebrows, but took the remote from her as he moved to the sofa and collapsed onto it with a satisfied sigh. He flicked on the TV and channel surfed until he found a decent program. He turned his body to face her and held his arms out to her expectantly with a grin on his face.

Rowan quickly draped herself on him, slipping her arms around him and pillowing her head on his chest. She sighed contentedly and took one of his hands and put it on her head to encourage him to stroke her hair. She always felt better when his fingers were combing through her hair. She put her arm back around him and settled against him, feeling better than she had in days. She felt her eyes get heavy and let herself drift off.

Ray hugged Rowan to him happily, and starting running his fingers through her hair as he had learnt she liked him to do. She was a welcome weight after those couple of days without her. He was not wasting this. He leant into the sofa comfortably and watched his program, the odd chuckle escaping him every so often.


	22. Chapter 22

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 22**

Ronnie hurried back to the salon to be there by 4:30. Baby shopping! She couldn't wait!

She went inside and sat down to wait for Alyssa to finish.

Alyssa smiled at Ronnie as she sat down and carried on with her work, they shut in 5 minutes anyway, and she had done all her checks during a reasonably quiet period earlier. So she was good to go as long as Gayna shut the Salon for her. She smiled at Ronnie as the final woman paid and then tidied her desk before grabbing her stuff. She made to talk to Gayna but the other woman anticipated her and held up her keys with nod. Alyssa grinned and turned to Ronnie. "Let's get out of here and go shopping then," she smiled as she led her friend outside.

"Yes," Ronnie replied enthusiastically and rubbed her hands together. "And think about where you want to eat dinner. Shopping is hungry work," she giggled as she walked out the door and waved at the cab as it pulled up.

/\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\\/\/\

Rowan slept until a loud knock at the flat door woke her up. She lifted her head slightly as her eyes blearily opened and heard JT's voice at the door.

"I've brought you some food up," he called out.

Rowan struggled to sit up, still heavy with sleep, so Ray could get the door.

Ray grinned at the thought of food and shifted Rowan off him completely and stretched as he stood and went to get the door. He grinned at JT as he let him in and couldn't hold back a yawn. He felt knackered and had barely done anything all day!

Rowan rubbed at her face and huffed out a breath as she watched JT bring the tray in and put it on the kitchen table.

"Thanks, JT," she said around a yawn.

"You're welcome. I closed up early today, I didn't think you'd mind."

Rowan chuckled and shook her head. "No, I don't. I'll be back down tomorrow," she told him and went over to give him a quick hug.

"I want us to have a family dinner this weekend," he told her quietly.

"What?" she stepped back and looked at him.

"You and Roxy are never going to get to know each other well enough to get along if you keep avoiding each other. You have found excuse after excuse, and she's just as bad, every time I try for us all to have dinner together. You know, Gem might make you cut a switch for being so stubborn," he teased her.

"Gem's not here," she replied tartly and folded her arms and gazed at him steadily. He did have a point. She was being overly stubborn about getting along with Roxy. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Thanks, Aunt Ro," he said gratefully and picked her up and whirled her around.

"Do that again and I'll change my mind," she snorted. He put her down and raised his hands and back away with a chuckle.

"See you tomorrow," he said and bolted. Rowan rolled her eyes and looked at Ray then at the food.

"I feel like I just ate," she remarked and sat down to look over what JT had brought. Chicken pasties and beef pasties. She got herself a glass of water and a beer from the fridge for Ray and sat down and picked up a pasty and began to eat it. She finished it quickly and stood up and walked over to Ray. She leaned against his back and looped her arms over his shoulders, her hands hanging on his chest.

"I'm going to go and have a bath and get ready to be pudding," she whispered in his ear. "You take your time. Lock the door," she gestured at the door to the flat. "Stay in here and I'll let you know when I'm ready," she finished and kissed the shell of his ear. She straightened up, went to the bedroom and dug out the lingerie she planned to wear and then ran a bath, making sure to lock the bathroom door so he couldn't come in.

Ray heard the bathroom door shut and immediately applied himself to the pasties. He had missed having her around while she had been in hospital, but it still felt like she had been away for far too long. He found he had issues sleeping without her there. He almost laughed at how dependent he had become. And now she was getting into a bath only a few feet away. He concentrated on the food to take his mind off other thoughts.

Rowan luxuriated in the bath. She hadn't been properly clean for two days and she hated it. She decided not to stay in too long. She didn't want to risk him breaking down the door. He always seemed to want to join her in the bath. Not that she minded as long as he didn't complain about the scented bubbles she used.

She stood up, gave herself a quick rinse with the shower and got out. She toweled herself dry and then pulled on her dressing gown and began to carefully apply make up. She'd had Alyssa help her a few times before with make up, after the makeover Lyss had given her for the karaoke so long ago. Then she dried and set about curling her hair, running her fingers through the curls to make them loose and slightly messy.

She opened the bathroom door and peered out. She didn't see Ray so she bolted across the hall to the bedroom and shut the door behind her. She quickly laced herself into the black with dark purple trim corset. She pulled on the black thong uncertainly, at least she wouldn't likely be wearing it long and then pulled on the sheer black stockings, hooking them to the garters, then slipped on the high heels.

She pulled the filmy, sheer black robe that came with it over herself and then lit candles and jasmine scented incense. She looked herself over in the mirror and dabbed a very small drop of jasmine oil on her excessively pushed up cleavage. She tried to shift the corset slightly so she didn't feel like she was spilling out and pulled the covers back on the bed before going to the door and opening it a crack.

"I'm ready," she called out, trying to sound seductive, but sure she only sounded nervous. She stepped back close to the dresser where the candles were and waited.

Ray heard the rushing footsteps across the hall and made to get up. He stopped when the bedroom door slammed and he sighed. He grabbed up the plate of pasties, covered them and put them in the fridge. He leant against the counter and tried to keep his mind off Rowan by staring intently at wooden table. He looked up at the sound of her voice and curiously made his way to their bedroom, what had she been doing in there?

He shut the door softly behind him and looked around, the room was dimly lit by candles, but he could still see her well enough, illuminated by the soft light behind her. His eyes traced her slowly, from head to toe and then back. He didn't bother trying to stop his jaw from dropping and he took slow steps until he was stood right in front of her and let his fingers dance down her body before moving his eyes to her face and exhaling slowly.

"Wow," he breathed for lack of anything else to say, and even that didn't convey the tidal wave of emotions sweeping through him. He had an idea and took her hand, linking their fingers and tried to do what she had taught him.

Rowan felt her heart beat faster at the look in his eyes. She gazed at him as she felt him take her hand and gasped. She let her head lean back at the tide of emotions that swept over her. She drew in a deep breath and raised her head and looked at him again.

"Oh, Ray," she breathed and lifted her free hand to his cheek. She blinked back tears, drew in a deep breath again and let herself go, letting him feel all she felt for him, too.

She was still in awe she could share this with him. Her mother and father had had this and she'd always dreamed she might find what they had one day. She still couldn't quite believe she had. She stepped forward and pressed herself close to him as she moved her hand from his cheek to his neck and drew his face to hers for a kiss.

Ray slipped his arms around her as his eyes closed as she opened to him. It was incredible! He opened his eyes as her hand moved and he smiled as she kissed him and he lost his control. Ray lifted Rowan off the floor and carried her to the bed, unwilling to break the kiss. He tumbled on top of her carefully as he laid her down and finally pulled back and looked down at her.

She didn't have to go to all this trouble. He could barely control himself when she was in jeans and top, but in this! He shuddered as he looked at her again and sat back on his knees as he straddled her. Ray grinned down at her a his fingers danced down her corset. The first thing was to get rid of those shoes! He got off her and smiled as he went and slid the shoes off her feet gently, then planted small kisses up her calves until he reached the tops of her stockings, he peeled them off her and discarded them too.

Rowan held back a giggle as he straddled her. That was different! She was usually doing that to him.

She felt them mesh and quickly relaxed and let him do what he liked and made sure he felt what it was doing to her. She fought back the urge to beg him to rip the thing off her. His way was torture, but she loved it anyway.

She watched him, her eyes dark with lust and marveled anew at this amazing man she'd found.

Ray crawled back up her and frowned at the corset. As amazing as it was, it had to come off, but how? He furrowed his brow as he studied the garment and then moved his gaze to her face "How do I get it off?" he said, his voice filled with his confusion.

Rowan bit her lip and smiled. She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, bringing her face close, her lips nearly touching his. She kept her eyes fixed on his as she un-tucked the laces and untied the bow she'd chosen to do over knotting. She reached down and took his hands in hers, her eyes never leaving his and used his hands to loosen the laces. She then let go his hands and held her arms up so he could pull it off over her head.

Ray grinned down at her and carefully eased the black and purple garment off her. He dropped it on the floor and traced his eyes down her body greedily. His placed his lips on hers gently and cradled her face as he kissed her hungrily.

Ray's hands made their way down her body slowly as his mouth traveled from her lips and he kissed down her neck.

Rowan slipped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back, her breathing quickening at the feel of his hands on her. She titled her head as he kissed down her neck and moved her hands to the hem of his shirt to pull it over his head, desperate to feel his skin against hers.

Ray shed his shirt and then climbed off her to removed his trousers too. He smiled as he climbed back on top of her and attached his lips to her neck once more. He nuzzled his way down to her breasts and looked up briefly to smile at her before focusing his attention where he wished.

Rowan moaned softly and slid her fingers into his hair, running his curls through her fingers. She shivered beneath him as his lips traveled over her flesh. She idly remembered the Valentines present she'd bought him, still in the drawer, but that could wait. She'd missed this while she was in the hospital and didn't intend to stop him for any reason.

Ray smiled and was encouraged by the noises he could hear, he left a lingering trail of kisses down her belly, he paused as he reached her thong and chuckled as he removed it and deposited it on the floor with the rest of her outfit. He parted her legs and kissed up her inner thigh slowly and then moved to her other leg and gave it the same treatment before putting his mouth to use elsewhere.

"Oh Ray!" Rowan cried out, unable to hold it back. She twined her fingers into the bedclothes as she began a panting whine. She began to whisper as the pleasure washed over her. She couldn't get enough when he did this to her, it overwhelmed her completely.

She cried out his name again as her body began to shake as she went over the edge.

Ray smirked as he felt her go and crawled back up the length of her body until he was hovering above her once more. He smiled down at her, he truly loved this small American. She was utterly incredible and an amazing cook! He brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her as he wrapped her legs around his waist, divested himself of his boxers and finally thrust inside her with a guttural groan of delight.

Rowan gasped for air and smiled back at Ray when he smiled at her. She loved his smile, she loved him. She couldn't help herself. She kissed him back hungrily and moaned into the kiss as he entered her. He was everything she could want; she couldn't imagine herself without him. He'd started out slightly sexist, which she'd tried to ignore, and over time he'd mellowed. She didn't mind him being in charge sometimes, she gloried in the surrender.

He supported her as she ran her own business and never said anything against it. He never once asked her about children. Something for which she was profoundly grateful. She wasn't entirely sure she could have them. She had finally decided to see the doctor, so she could tell him in case it ever came up, but it hadn't. She could conceive, but it wouldn't be easy. She didn't mind. She wasn't even sure if Ray wanted children though she thought it might be nice to have one, to carry on her line.

She wound her arms around him and dug her fingers into his back, thinking it was probably a good thing she kept her fingernails so short as she met his thrusts.

Ray held an arm around her waist and cradled her head with his other hand. She really was incredible, she had been out of hospital less than 24 hours and was already planning things for her restaurant, had had lunch with Alyssa and himself, and had planned this evening. He knew that he had missed her while she had been away, it felt weird going to bed without her and the place seemed quiet even with the hum of conversation coming from the restaurant below.

Watching football wasn't the same without her there either. Celebrating goals was much more enjoyable when she was there, even if he did miss some of the match. He could remember one time when they had celebrated the first goal and had missed the rest of the match. She had missed a match while she had been in hospital and he had opted to watch it in the nearest sports bar.

He cried out her name as he felt his release and buried his face in her neck as he hugged her close.

Rowan shook and screamed his name as she came with him. Goddess, he was fantastic! She tightened her arms around him as he buried his face in her neck and kissed his shoulder before pressing her face to it.

"I missed you so much," she breathed and tried not to start crying. She could feel the lump in her throat and swallowed past it. She closed her eyes and smiled as she remembered the first time he'd told her he loved her. She kept that memory very close.

Ray rolled onto his side and pulled her with him so she was locked in his arms and close against him, keeping his face pressed into her neck. He settled with a soft sigh and kissed the side of her neck before looking at her face and smiling at her. "I missed you too, Ro," he told her as he tangled his hand in her hair.

"Now you're here, I might be able to sleep properly," he said softly. "It's difficult to sleep without you against me," he confessed and pulled her even closer, kissing the top of her head as he went.

"I didn't sleep well either, between missing you and some disturbing dreams I can't seem to remember, and being in the hospital, I'm not sure I would have slept at all if they hadn't drugged me. She settled comfortably against him, tucking her head under his chin and pressing her cheek to his chest. She closed her eyes and stroked his arm with her fingers.

She suddenly leaned her head back and looked at him. "I've got your Valentines present," she told him and gently untangled herself from him. She padded into the front room and dug it out of her handbag. She brought it back in and handed it to him.

"I know it's not well wrapped, but," she shrugged and climbed back in bed next to him to watch him open it.

Ray raised his eyebrows at her. "You didn't need to Ro, just you being home is enough," he smiled at her, but tore open his gift regardless. He pulled the football shirt out and read the name on the back. He gasped and looked at Rowan.

"No. Way!" he breathed and looked back at the shirt. He threw it over his head and grinned at her. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. "Thank you," he told her with a beaming grin. He studied her for a moment and pulled the shirt off and fitted it over her head instead, he grinned at her, it drowned her.

"I like it better on you," he smiled as he pulled her back against him.

"You're welcome," she told him, overjoyed that he was pleased with it. "I bought it before Valentines Day, it actually got here in the post that day so I stuck it in my bag," she told him. She started laughing as he pulled the shirt over her head.

She looked down at it mostly hanging off her and shook her head at him. She kissed him as he pulled her against him. "I'll wear it if you want me to," she agreed. "But not tonight. I have this," she gestured at where the bandage was, "and I want to feel your skin against me," she admitted and carefully slipped off the shirt. She folded it and put it on the bedside table before huddling close to him again.

"I'm glad you like it," she said contentedly.

Ray tugged on the duvet until it covered the pair of them and wrapped his arms around her gently to hold her close. "I do like it Ro, I like it a lot," he murmured into her hair.

"I'm glad," she mumbled and drifted off, knowing she was safe in his arms again.

/\\/\/\\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\/\/\/\

Molly's head shot up at the sound of the doorbell and she shot her mum an accusatory look. Alex frowned at her but let go of her and shifted Molly's legs off her lap so she could go and see who was there, she was grateful for the interruption at any rate, Molly was suffocating her more than usual, Alex knew it was because she had gone into work this morning and Molly hadn't liked being on her own. Alex sighed and glanced briefly at Molly, who was peering over the sofa, before pulling back the latch and opening the door. She was more than a little shocked at the person outside.

"Gene?" she said and automatically stood back to let him in.

Molly sat up and her eyes widened "NO!" she screamed and ran for her mums room. Molly curled up behind the bed, hadn't she got rid of him before, she didn't want him around. He was the one that had been there when she had been told her Dad had died, and he was the one that hadn't let her see his body! He was bad news! He brought bad luck, she could tell that him being here would in some way get her Mum hurt! She needed her Mum, she didn't want him.

Alex was torn, she wanted to throw herself into Gene's arms and sob out all of her troubles to him but she was unsure how he would receive it after she had blown up at him earlier. The other half of her wanted to rush to her room and console her daughter, to reassure her, like she had done last time, that Gene wouldn't hurt her. But that hadn't worked last time, Molly had seemed traumatised by Gene's very presence.

Right now Alex felt like dropping to the floor and curling into a ball until everything went away and sorted itself out. She gave Gene a weary look and shut the front door behind him. "Please don't start Gene, I'm not sure I can take it!" she said to him as she went and fell onto the sofa.

Gene waved his hand at Alex dismissively and followed after Molly. He walked into the room and shut the door behind him and gazed at her steadily before moving to sit near her.

"You and I need to have a talk," he said to her, his voice low and even. He gave a soft sigh. "You have to come back to the world with the rest of us. I don't think your father would thank you for carrying on like this for so long, do you? Skipping school, acting like a small child, do you think he'd be impressed?" he asked her gently.

"I know we didn't get off on the right foot. I know you were angry that you couldn't see the body but it's my job to protect people like you, and that is what I was trying to do."

He pulled an envelope from his coat pocket. "Your mum didn't want you to see it and I agree with her, however, if you really are convinced it will make that much of a difference then here," he held out the envelope. He'd made sure the photo was taken after the body was covered. At least there were only some scratches on the face. He could never have let her see what he and Alex had to see when Alex had to ID the body.

He sat and waited.

Alex watched him followed Molly in alarm. She sat up and watched the closed door, straining to hear. She could make out a gentle rumble that she identified as Gene but nothing else. No screaming was good right?

Molly stayed mute and took the photo from him. She gazed at her father's lifeless face for a few moments then crawled into her mum's bed as she felt herself breaking down. Molly buried her face into the pillow as she cried and wished. She wished her Dad was here. She wished he and her mum hadn't broken up. She wished Gene would go away.

Gene reached over and pulled Molly up. He took her face in his hands and fixed his eyes on hers.

"You have to stop this, for you dad, but especially for your mum. You are killing her, Molly, you're killing yourself, and I won't have that. I care about your mother, which means I care about you. And I won't allow this," he told her, still keeping his voice low and even.

"Do you want to hit me?" he asked her seriously. "I'll give you one," he told her, raising his hand with his forefinger up. "Just one."

Molly glared at him with tears still fresh in her eyes. She wanted to hit him; she wanted him to leave her alone. Why wouldn't he leave them alone! He didn't know anything! He couldn't replace her Dad no matter how much her Mum liked him! She snarled at him and aimed a punch at his stomach then wrenched out of his grasp and bolted for the bathroom. She slipped the latch across and locked herself in as she cradled the picture and cried into a towel.

Gene huffed out a breath as Molly left. He didn't know if what he'd done would help or not, but he didn't think it could have made things worse.

He walked back out into the front room and looked at Alex.

"I know she needs you, but I need you, too," he told her. "I've done what I can."

He turned and left her flat without another word.

Chris looped his arm with Shaz' as they walked home.

"So, should we leave Friday night after work or Saturday morning? Oh, and I spoke to the Guv and he's made sure our transfers will go through smoothly so there won't be any problems when we go back to work after the honeymoon," he told her.

"Let's get a take away and relax tonight," he suggested then stopped and put his hands on her shoulders. "I'll make sure I let you know immediately if it looks like Ray's plans for the Stag night are going to get me killed, maimed or otherwise damaged," he promised her. "So don't worry. At least we're not doing them the night before the wedding, that could be a disaster."

Shaz smiled at him. "I'm anticipating something from Ray, that's why I don't want the stag the day before the wedding, also I don't really want to be hung over on my wedding day," she smiled as she unlocked the front door. "How about pizza?"

/\\/\\\/\/\\\/\\\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\\\/\\\/\\

Chris unwound himself from Shaz when the pizza arrived and then brought it back and put it on the coffee table. He went and grabbed plates for them and then dropped back onto the couch next to Shaz.

He handed her a plate and opened the box to help himself before settling down next to her again. He really couldn't get over being with Shaz. He was sure when he left and she stopped returning his calls that they were over as mates as well as everything else. Now, they were getting married and as long as he had her, he didn't care what Ray or anyone else did to him.

Shaz was his again and she loved him. That was all that mattered.

Chris finished his pizza and noted that Shaz had finished hers as well. He put his plate down and slid a hand over her leg.

"So," he said casually as he moved his hand along her thigh, and leaned close to her ear. "I think I'm ready for bed, how about you?" he breathed in her ear.

Shaz turned to him and smiled, she slid her arms around his neck and kissed him softly, she pulled back with a smile and nodded at him. "Definitely," she agreed as she stood up and tugged on his hand.

Jack got home to an empty house and sighed. He pulled out his phone. Yes, she had texted. She was shopping with Ronnie. Shopping! He grinned slyly as he zipped his coat back up to have dinner at the pub.

"Will you be buying me anything nice to look at?" he texted her and then chuckled to himself.

Alyssa looked down at the text from Jack and chuckled. "Not likely, nursery decor hunt! xx"

"Bugger," Jack sent in reply. "Surely you could get something?"

Alyssa chuckled. "Doubt I will be goin' anywhere like that! Baby shops don't do things like that."

Alyssa rolled her eyes at the text and pocketed her phone as she helped Ronnie with her bags."Is that everything or is there anything else you want to get?" she questioned.

"You mean we don't have enough?" Ronnie asked in a joking shocked tone. "I vote time to eat, enough shopping."

She looked around and gestured across the street. "That looks like a good place," she said and after a quick glance for cars, hurried across. She stopped in front of the place and waited for Alyssa.

"It smells good at any rate," she remarked.

Alyssa did a quick car check and followed after Ronnie. She looked up at the name of the restaurant and nodded. "Yup," she smiled as she grabbed the door and pulled it open.

Ronnie eagerly followed the waiter to a table and pulled off her coat as she perused the menu.

"I'm so hungry I'm not even sure I can decide," Ronnie remarked as she looked over the dishes hungrily. She looked at Alyssa, her features slightly dismayed.

Alyssa looked over the menu and then pointed to the platters. "If we share one of these then you won't have to choose," she suggested, smiling at her friend's indecision.

Ronnie smiled back. "You're a genius, do you know that?" she remarked. "However, we should have more than one, I'm really hungry," she half-whined and waved at the waiter.

Alyssa shrugged back and chuckled at Ronnie as the waiter came over, she ordered them a mixed platter and then looked at Ronnie before ordering another one as well.

Ronnie smiled. "Thank you," she said.

"I can't believe I bought so much! Jack is going to be really surprised tomorrow when the furniture all gets delivered. I just hope he's willing to help with the paint and paper, otherwise I'm going to be calling Roxy," Ronnie said and took a drink of her water. "Though I probably should anyway, since I didn't go shopping with her."

Alyssa smiled. "Surely he can't object to helping," she sighed. "I mean, it's his baby, too" she shrugged.

"Well, he's not really a DIY sort of man, not in that way," she giggled. "I don't know it might be fun for Roxy and I to do it," she shrugged. "I'll see what Jack wants to do, but he'll probably tell me to do whatever I want, I really like that sentence," she said and drank some more water. "'Whatever you want, Ron,'" she said, imitating Jack's voice. "See, has a nice ring to it."

Alyssa laughed and smiled "I'm not sure I could live with that, when Jack and I went shopping for the house we spent a lot of time compromising on furniture, I doubt he would like the house as much if it was kitted out exactly how I wanted," she explained. "Mind you, if I got to do that then I'm not sure I'd like the house as much either," she shrugged.

"Well, for him it was about the nursery really. Men don't seem to want to be bothered with that," Ronnie chuckled. "I did let him put his stamp on the flat though. That horrible big flat screen tele and this chair that he loved," she sighed and shrugged.

She immediately filled her plate when the food finally arrived.

"So, when do you go shopping for your wedding, it's in June isn't it? That only gives you what….four months to plan? Barely enough time."

Alyssa gaped at her. "Ronnie, did you just refer to a flat screen as being 'horrible'?" she laughed.

Alyssa shrugged. "I've got a good idea what kind of dress I want," she replied. "And Dad's agreed to give me away," she smiled.

Ronnie nodded as she swallowed her mouthful of food and gave a wry chuckle. "Only because I never get to watch what I want," she complained. "We like some of the same stuff, but some stuff I want to watch and I have to go in the bedroom to watch it, unless he's at the club," she shrugged and sighed.

"Oh, that's so wonderful. So, tell me about this dress," she encouraged and took another bite of food.

Alyssa smiled. "It's got an empire waistline, and the top is sort of lacy, it's strapless and I suppose it fishtails at the bottom, hang on," Alyssa grabbed a napkin and pulled a pen out of her bag and did a quick sketch for Ronnie.

"Oh, sounds fantastic! You'll look amazing of course. I can't imagine much you wouldn't look amazing in!" Ronnie told her. She ate some more food and then tilted her head at Alyssa. "If you need the club for your Hen let me know. Mates rates," Ronnie told her with a grin.

"Thanks, Ron," Alyssa beamed at her. "And...I was wondering, would you like to be one of my bridesmaids? I've already asked Rowan to be my maid of honour and she's agreed, so please?" she smiled.

"Really? Oh, Alyssa I'd love it!" Ronnie said excitedly. She got up and walked around the table to give Alyssa a quick hug before sitting back down. She happily finished her food and waved away Alyssa's offer to help pay.

"I said I'm buying," Ronnie told her insistently. "I'll call Rowan though and let her know about the club since she'll no doubt be the one planning the Hen," Ronnie flashed Alyssa a wicked smile as she handed over her credit card to the waiter.

/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\\/\/\\

Alex opened her mouth to speak but closed it again once the door slammed after him. She hugged her knees and sighed, she had hoped he had planned on staying, she needed him to hold her: apparently that wasn't going to happen.

Alex untangled herself and got up off the sofa and padded through to her bedroom, she had heard a door slam shortly before Gene had left. The bathroom door was shut. She knocked on it. "Molls? Open up," she called gently.

Molly looked up at the sound of Alex's voice and sighed into the towel. Gene's words were in her head and wouldn't leave her. She didn't want to come out! "No" she said just loud enough for Alex to hear.

Alex leant on the door frame "Please Molly, let me in!"

"No!"

Alex stepped backwards and fell onto her bed and waited for Molly to come out.

Alex looked up as the latch went on the bathroom door and she heaved herself up into a sitting position and watched curiously as Molly came out and sat next to her. She looked at the piece of paper in Molly's hand and gently eased it out of her grasp. She inhaled sharply, Gene had given this to her? She sighed and placed it on her knee as she looked back at her daughter. "Molls?"

Molly looked up at her mum and gave her a half-hearted smile. She had taken a lot of her pent up anger out on Gene, she felt calmer now. She glanced at the picture of her lifeless father with a small sob and leant into Alex.

Alex sighed quietly and wrapped her arms around Molly and rocked her gently. She supposed that she had better tell her about the appointment with the therapist. "Molly, I've made you an appointment."

Molly pulled back sharply and stared. "What?"

"With a psychiatrist Molly, they can help you through this!"

Molly shook her head fiercely. "You're a psychologist! Why can't you do it?" she demanded.

Alex shook her head gently. "I can't be your mum and treat you Molls. It doesn't work like that."

Molly opened her mouth to argue, but Gene's words came back to her. She looked at Alex, she did look drained, and upset, and tired, and worried. Molly gulped, was she killing her mum? Alex didn't look good! She shut her mouth and nodded. She didn't want to lose her Mum, too.

Alex sighed happily and kissed Molly's forehead. "Thank you," she murmured into her hair. It was a step forward at least. She smiled at Molly as she stood up to go and get something to eat. She whipped out her phone, Gene's conversation with Molly seemed to have helped. She went to text him to say thank you, then remembered that Gene didn't own a phone. Alex pocketed her phone in frustration, how was she supposed to say thank you to him now? She sighed, she would have to call the office tomorrow.

/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\\\\/\/\\

"*Sigh*" Jack sent back. He sat and ate his way through his food at the pub and had a couple of pints. He saw Gene come in and waved him over.

"You all right, mate?"

Gene barely nodded and drank down half his pint.

"Still trouble with Molly. I'm worried about Alex."

"Can I help at all?"

Gene shook his head. "I'm not sure how you could help. She needs to take that girl to get professional help. She's too close. I went to see her. That child is a mess."

Jack toyed with his pint glass.

"Well, I can't imagine the social isn't on her about Molly missing school," Jack remarked.

"They may well have been, I don't know. She rarely speaks to me anymore."

"Do you think she should be sectioned?"

"I don't want to do that to Alex. Things are tense enough between us. That would tear us completely apart."

Gene finished his pint and ordered another for himself and Jack.

"So, you spoke to her then?"

Gene nodded. "She needed to take her anger out on someone. She was already mad at me for not allowing her to go ID the body, so it seemed an easy choice. I also pointed out a few truths to her. She's a smart kid, hopefully she'll figure it out."

Jack simply nodded and took a drink of his pint.

"I hope you're right, mate."

"Me and all. Now, can we get on a less depressing subject, like football maybe," Gene suggested.

Jack chuckled and nodded agreeably.

Gene finished his pint.

"Right, I'm off," he said to Jack.

"See you, mate," Jack said and waved him off before finishing his own pint and deciding to go home.

He walked in and saw Whitney puttering around in the kitchen.

"How are you, Whitney?"

"Oh, I'm great, thanks, Jack. Just getting myself something to eat, big project coming up so loads to do," she grinned at him.

"How's um, Brett?"

Whitney fought back a giggle. "He's fine. He's going to come over Saturday to help me with my project, hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all," Jack replied and shook his head. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and dropped onto the couch and turned on the tele. Whitney finished getting herself some food and then headed upstairs to do her work. She turned on her laptop in case Brett wanted to chat.

/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\\/\/\

Gene went home and looked dourly around his empty flat. He realized with something like surprise that he hated it. He pulled several cans from the fridge and lined them up on the coffee table and stared at the phone on the end table. He finally blew out a long breath, glanced at the time, picked up the handset and called Alex.

Alex looked up from her lukewarm pasta as the phone rang and reached over the sofa to get it. She looked at the time and frowned. She held out a hope that it was Gene, she wouldn't even mind if he was drunk. It wouldn't be the social again. She had had that phone call, and hated every second of it. She sighed and pressed the phone to her ear as she toyed with the food that had been sat in front of her for at least 45 minutes.

"Hello," she answered emotionlessly.

"Bolls, how is she?" Gene asked, unwilling to say more. It was too hard.

Alex exhaled in relief at the sound of Gene's voice. "She's asleep Gene, whatever you said to her, well..." Alex sighed. "She's agreed to go to the psychiatrist," she told him, hope in her voice. "Thank you," she smiled as she abandoned her uneaten dinner and retreated to the comfort of her sofa.

"I just tried to point out what she was doing to you and hope she would realize it. I let her vent her anger on me, too. You know she's needed to, in her mind it's all my fault," he sighed and drained his beer. "Is she still going to stay with Evan though over the few days for Chris and Shaz' wedding?" he asked hopefully. Three days when he would get her to himself, all to himself.

Alex looked over at her calendar to check and smiled, she had written that Molly was going to Evan's. "Yeah, Evan's taking time off work to look after her for me," she glanced over at the bedroom and couldn't see any movement, Molly was still asleep, good! "To be honest, I'm looking forward to a break," she sighed.

"I'm looking forward to time with you," he told her honestly. No point in dancing around the subject. "Do me a favor, it might sound strange, but if she asks, tell Molly you don't know if I'll be there, okay? I don't want something to come up at the last minute with her trying to keep me from you. Please, Alex," he begged softly. Gene Hunt didn't beg, but this time, he found he couldn't help it. He needed Alex desperately, he was lost without her. He would beg if he had to.

Alex frowned at the phone. "Ummmm, okay," she agreed. Gene hunt was begging? She smiled. "I won't mention it, but if it gets brought up then I'll tell her that you won't be there," she confirmed.

"I just need to make sure we get to spend this time together, Bolls," he told her.

"Look, I should go. You need to get some rest. I'll talk to you soon. Call me or come see me at the office anytime," he told her.

"I will," she agreed. What she really wanted was a hug off him, but that wasn't going to happen. You couldn't hug through a phone.

/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\\/\/\

Rowan woke up, her head was splitting! She groaned and rolled over on the bed and fell off with a thud. She groaned and pulled herself back up off the floor. She looked at Shaz and Alyssa, still passed out on the bed and picked her careful way out of Shaz' bedroom to use the bathroom, stepping cautiously over Alex and Ginger, who were curled up on cushions on the floor, as she went.

She didn't remember when they'd come back to Shaz' flat after the party. Most of the night was a blur. She did remember that she had drank at least one glass of wine and had danced with the stripper. She rubbed her face and rinsed it with cold water. She went into the front room and saw Shaz' sister passed out on the couch and some of the other girls from Essex littered around the floor. She hunted around for her bag and picked it up and dug out her keys. She needed to get home.

She stumbled out the door and made sure to close the door behind her firmly and headed home.

She let herself into the restaurant and immediately put on a pot of coffee. JT and Syed were going to have to handle the morning cooking. Rowan could barely think. At least it was a Saturday. The breakfast crowd would be later and fairly light. She gratefully poured herself a cup of black coffee and drank it down as fast as she dared.

Rowan trudged upstairs and dug into the wardrobe to pull out her box of herbals. She held up the bag that she kept her "hangover remedy" in and carried it to the kitchen to set a cup of the concoction steeping while she took a long hot shower. She got out and drank the brew down and then called Ray. She hoped he was okay. There was no telling what he'd got up to last night.

/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\\/\/\

Chris woke up, aware that he was very cold and very hungover. He looked around as he shivered and tried to stand up and was defeated by the cast on his leg. Cast! When the bloody hell had he broken his leg! And he was in his pants. Great! Nearly naked, with a broken leg and no idea where he was.

He looked around for his phone, his wallet, anything he could use and grimaced at the pain in his head. What was he going to do? One thing he was sure of, last night had been a huge mistake.

Chris stumbled around and realized he was in the carpark of a train station. He wasn't sure how he'd made it here. He stumbled to the door and went inside the station.

There was an elderly man behind the ticket window. Chris noted the pay phone on the wall and staggered to the window.

"Look, mate, can you help us out?" Chris rasped out. His mouth tasted like something had died in it. He frowned and peered at the man behind the window. "Look, I've no idea where I am, I've got no clothes and I seem to have broken my leg. Can you give us some coins for the phone? Please?"

The man looked at him and muttered something unintelligible. Chris furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes at the man, trying to work out what was being said.

The man saw Chris' expression and sighed. "I said no," the man repeated slowly. Chris' expression changed to panic and he ran his hands through his hair. How was he going to get home? And he was freezing!

He was going to kill Ray and Rhys. This had to have been their idea. Rhys had just the sick sense of humor to do something like this. He went over to the phone and stared at it, trying to make sense of the small print while his brain pounded in his head. He picked up the handset and dialed Shaz' number, reversing the charges since he had no money.

/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\\/\/\

Gene woke up on his own and wondered why Alex hadn't shown up, then realized his own hangover and decided she'd probably never made it back to Walford or was passed out somewhere in Walford. No matter. She was free of Molly for these few short days and he would get to see her later.

He ignored the throbbing in his skull, it was paled next to the idea of being with Alex, and flipped the kettle on. He headed to the bathroom to grab a shower, whistling as he walked.

/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\\/\/\

Shaz blinked awake as she heard the front door close with a snap. She sat up too quickly and her hangover hit her like a punch to the face. She bit back a groan so as not to wake the redhead sprawled next to her feet and stumbled off the bed. She picked her way over empty wine bottles and beer cans to the front room and almost smiled at the familiar sound of her sister's snoring. She nudged her gently.

"Shell," she croaked out and nudged her harder. Michelle started awake and glared at Shaz as she clutched at her head.

"What? Sharon! Why can't you let me die in peace!" she groaned and lay back down, pulling a cushion towards her. She smiled at Shaz

"You're still wearing that learner sign around your neck," she snorted. Shaz looked down and sighed as she pulled it off and dropped it on.

Michelle's head and smirked. "And you're still wearing that G-String that you refused to give back," she retorted with a smile.

Michelle looked down and smiled. "Got any paracetamol?" she asked. Shaz nodded and gestured for Michelle to follow her and went through to the kitchen to dig in the cupboard.

Michelle grunted as she grudgingly rose and trailed after Shaz.

Shaz screwed her eyes tightly shut as the phone rang and Kelly sat up grumpily to grab a pillow and hold it down over her face. Melissa grabbed the phone grudgingly accepted the reverse charges and then lobbed it towards Shaz with a smirk. "S'lover boy," she said before lying back down with her head on Anna's stomach.

Michelle held back a laugh at Shaz's clumsy catch and Shaz glared at her before putting the phone to her ear. "Chris? What's up? And why are you reversing the charges?" she asked her tone illustrating her confusion as Michelle downed the two paracetamol.

Alex woke groggily at the commotion around her and a phone ringing. She tried to sit up, but was restricted by both the shooting pain in her head and her legs being tangled. She chuckled at the sight of her legs mixed up with Simon's and gently dislodged herself. She winced as she sat up properly and looked around, she cringed at the sight of Kelly, her skirt was practically up over her hips! She exhaled and looked up as a dark-haired girl she recognised as Michelle came over with a glass of water and a packet of pills.

"Two of these," she said simply as she popped out two paracetamols and handed Alex the glass. Alex smiled gratefully and took a small sip of water before downing the pills, then drinking the rest of the water in the glass.

She placed the glass on the floor and nodded at Shaz. "What's going on?" she asked, indicating the phone. Michelle shrugged. "Seems Chris put through a reverse call," Alex groaned. "This'll be Ray's doing," she muttered.

"Shaz, you need to help us out. I'm stuck in bloody Aberdeen in just my pants. I've got no money, no phone, no clothes and it's freezing. And I've got a cast on me leg, but I don't remember breaking it. This had to be bloody Ray and bloody Rhys' doing. Knowing Rhys, I'm probably lucky to be where they speak English," he remarked. "I'm at a train station," he added.

Shaz couldn't help it, she burst into fits of laughter. She had been expecting something from Ray and Rhys but she hadn't expected them to go this far! She collapsed onto the sofa near Anna and hiccuped until she stopped laughing, she looked up at the questioning glances from Alex and Michelle and grinned. "Ray and Rhys stripped Chris to his underwear and stuck him in Aberdeen!" she smiled. She turned back to the phone as Michelle shrieked with laughter and several pillows got thrown in her direction accompanied by grumbles and groans at the unwelcome noise. "What d'you want me to do Chris?" she enquired. As funny as this was at the moment she was planning on killing Ray and Rhys, at least this wasn't their wedding day, This was the reason why this wasn't their wedding day!

Michelle handed him the paracetamol and shrugged at him as she tried to get her laughter under control! She padded into the kitchen and stuck the kettle on as Alex joined her and got down 9 mugs.

"Shaz, it's not funny! You have no idea how cold it is here, and I can hardly walk with this thing on my leg!" he half-shouted.

"Come get me, or send someone...bloody hell Shaz I don't know! I can't get on the train like this, and I can't buy a ticket anyway!" Chris was furious. When mates did this to you, weren't they supposed to help you out? And Shaz was laughing at him. She could be a little sympathetic. She was supposed to love him after all.

He sighed and huddled on the bench by the phone. The man in the booth kept looking at him and Chris was sure it was only a matter of time before the police arrived.

"If I get arrested someone better be ready to bail me out. That old fella behind the ticket window is giving me looks," Chris told her.

Shaz stopped her laughing completely and sighed. "I'll come and get you Chris, but the train up there is going to take hours you know! Half a day at least!" she told him with a smile at Michelle. "Go hide out in the nearest public loo or something!" she suggested as she took a coffee from Alex gratefully and stood and wandered into the bedroom, she spared a glance at Alyssa who was still unconscious on the bed and grabbed a pair of Chris' jeans and a top for him. She stuffed them in a bag as she held the phone to her ear with her shoulder.

Michelle pointed at Shaz as she disappeared into the bedroom. "Ray and Rhys dumped Chris on a train to Scotland in his underwear," she said softly with a small giggle as she handed him a mug of coffee and the girls finally got up and gathered around the small kitchen table, each clutching a steaming mug. Michelle did a head count and sighed. "Alyssa's still asleep," she noted. "And Rowan," she added.

"Couldn't you drive here, Shaz? I think that would take less time wouldn't it? Maybe I should let myself get arrested. I'd get a blanket and a warm cell and maybe a cup of tea," he remarked.

"I'll stay on the phone until you let me know what's going on."

"It depends on the roads Chris, if there's traffic on the motorway then it adds a good hour to my journey," she sighed and then chuckled at him down the phone as she collapsed onto the bed near Alyssa and watched the other woman stir in her sleep. "I'll check the traffic on the web and then come down, stay at the train station Chris, at least then I stand half a chance at finding you!" she laughed. "I'm going to have a shower, who would you like to talk to? I bet Shell is waiting to take the mick!" she informed him as she went back to the kitchen with a bag of clothes for him, picking up his trainers as an afterthought.

"I do NOT want to talk to your sister," Chris told her. "I'll stay here, Shaz, don't worry. I'll see if they have a jacket in the lost and found or something. Just take the phone with you. I don't want to talk to anybody, Shaz," he added.

Shaz grinned. "I can't very well take the phone in the shower with me Chris! And besides, this is the landline, it won't work out of range of the hub!" she sighed. "Call my mobile in 10 minutes okay?"

Chris sighed.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later, love," he told her and hung up the phone. He went over to the man behind the window.

"I don't suppose you have a spare jacket someone's left behind? Please? It's freezing here. My fiancé is coming to get me. I won't be here much longer. C'mon, help us out," he begged.

The man sighed and went to the door and pushed a box out the door.

Chris rummaged in the box and pulled out a jacket and put it on before sitting down on one of the chairs. He was hungry and thirsty, but didn't expect to get anymore out of the man.

/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\\/\/\

Ray stretched and accidentally hit a beer can. He groaned at the loud noise of aluminium hitting wood and ran a hand over his face. He sat up and glanced around, seemed he was on a sofa somewhere, he frowned as everything came into focus and he recognised Rhys' flat. He vaguely remembered Rhys pulling some bird, and them convincing Simon to plaster Chris' leg.

Rhys' idea of undressing him and the joint effort of placing him on a one way trip to Aberdeen dressed in only his underwear and a plastered leg. None of which, if they were lucky and Chris was as pissed as they thought, Chris would remember. He fell back down onto the sofa and pulled a pillow over his face.

Ray grunted as something started ringing in his pocket. He growled as he pulled out his phone and pushed the pillow behind his head. He half smiled at the caller ID and lay back into the sofa. "Rowan" he greeted blearily. "How was the Hen?"

"I'm not sure, I'll have to look at the pictures and tell you. Someone must have given me wine, my mind is a blur and I'm sooo hungover," Rowan moaned. "At least it's Saturday, JT and Syed can cover breakfast easily," she mumbled. "I got out my box and have taken my hangover remedy so I should be fine in an hour or so," she paused to take a sip of her coffee. "How was your do? Is Chris alive or am I going to have to protect you from Shaz?" she asked with a weak chuckle.

Ray couldn't help his chuckle as he remembered the previous nights antics. "Well, he was alive when we plastered his leg, and he was alive when we stripped him and stuck him on a train to Aberdeen," he told her. "He was pissed out of his head, but he was alive," he sighed with disappointment. "I wish I could see his face right now! Bet he's panicking."

"Oh no, Ray that's awful! I'm sure it's funny a bit, but Lady Above it's cold there, did you leave him money or clothes or anything or just dump him half-naked on the train?" Rowan felt awful for Chris and Shaz. How was he going to get home? She knew Ray had a rough sense of humor and moreso when drunk, though Rowan suspected Rhys had had a hand in much of it.

She had become quite friendly with Ginger and he'd told her things Rhys had done as "jokes" in the past. Some made her hair stand on end.

"You know, you or Rhys really should go get him," she told him and took another sip of coffee.

/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\\/\/\

Rhys fell out of bed and ran to the bathroom and barely made it. He sighed and leaned his head against the cold porcelain and hoped that was it. He finally stood up shakily and made his way to the kitchen to turn on the kettle. He saw Ray passed out on the sofa, Simon was in the recliner, the Guv was absent and some of the other lads were scattered about the floor and in Ffion's old room. He looked around and didn't see Chris anywhere and wondered where he'd got to.

Ginger opened his eyes and immediately regretted it, but someone was mucking about with his legs. He saw Alex standing up and saw Shaz' sister in the room. He carefully sat up and squinted at Michelle.

"Can I have a couple of those?" he begged, "and has anybody made coffee?"

Ginger followed them into the kitchen.

"I wonder why Simon never came back to the party after that phone call last night. Any idea what happened?" Ginger wanted to know. "Anybody heard anything?"

"Oh shit, I should have gone to the stag do," Ginger complained. "You give Rhys an inch and he'll take 20 miles, and Ray probably cheered him on," Ginger sighed. "Now I know why Rhys will never get married, he's too terrified someone will get back at him for all the pranks he pulled," he told Michelle.

He groaned. "Okay, I should drive Shaz to go and get him. Then I'll help her kill Rhys."

Michelle smiled at him. "Come on Ginger, you have to admit it is hilarious, and it gives me another reason to tease Chris, he is incredibly easy to wind up!" she said nonchalantly. "Has anyone ever tried to get Rhys back?" she asked curiously, a smirk crossing her face.

Ginger grinned. "People have tried, I have tried. I've got him back a few times. Being his best mate has some advantages you know."

Michelle smiled and leant back against the counter to talk to Alex and Melissa.

He fished his phone from his pocket and called Simon.

"So, what happened to you last night?"

"Rhys asked me for a favor, they said it was an emergency," Simon replied.

"What sort of favor?" Ginger wanted to know.

"Rhys conned me into plastering Chris' leg," Simon admitted. Ginger let out a bark of laughter. "Look, I'll see you a bit later. Chris ended up in Aberdeen, half-naked with no money, so I'm going to drive Shaz to pick him up."

"Okay," Simon said. "See you later."

Ginger flipped his phone shut and went to knock on the bathroom door to tell Shaz he would drive her to get Chris and to hurry up. He then called Rhys.

"You, mate, are in serious shit. Shaz is going to kill you, you know?"

"Sorry, I just couldn't resist it. Ray helped," Rhys explained.

"Yeah, well, I'm going to drive Shaz to pick him up. You're coming with and you're going to apologize."

"Oh, fine," Rhys grouched. "Where are you?"

"I'm at Shaz' flat," Ginger replied.

"Okay, I've been there with Chris before. I'll be right there."

/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\\/\/\

Rhys trudged up to Chris and Shaz' flat and knocked on the door. Ginger went over and opened the door.

"Bout time you got here."

"Nice to see you, too," Rhys snorted.

"After what you did you might want to pull back on that," Ginger told him.

Rhys rolled his eyes and walked into the flat.

"So, are we ready to go then?"

"Shaz is nearly ready I think."

"I've got time for some tea, then?"

Ginger nodded. "I suppose so."

Rhys went into the kitchen and nodded at the girls before checking the kettle and fixing himself some tea. He flashed his smile around and leaned against the counter.

"So, ladies, how are we today?"

Shaz deposited the phone on the bed and dashed to get a shower.

Alyssa woke drowsily as a piece of plastic bounced on the bed next to her. She sat up with a groan as the hangover hit her and pulled herself off the bed. She could hear the low rumble of voices from the kitchen and made her way towards it. She smiled at the girls and caught the box of paracetamol that someone threw at her. She popped two pills out and dry swallowed them before taking her seat at the table next to Melissa.

Michelle's mouth curved as the handsome Welshman came in. So this was Rhys? She smiled at him and looked him up and down.

Anna glanced over at him. "Hungover!" she snapped irritably and turned back to her coffee and her friends. Michelle rolled her eyes and went to dig in Shaz' fridge for something for breakfast.

/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\\/\/\

Rhys nodded at Alyssa and smiled around at the girls again. Clearly, he'd gone to the wrong party. Although, if he was being honest, the stripper that Ray had booked had been something else, in more ways than one.

He smiled at the one he thought was Shaz' sister and leaned over as she dug into the refrigerator.

"Anything in there for me?" he asked her.

Michelle looked over to see Rhys and smiled at him "Why? You want something?" she asked as she pulled out a pot of chocolate mousse and turned to look at him properly

"I'm starving!" he remarked. "Ginger probably won't let me stop on the way and get something to eat, he's that mad at me. It was just a joke and Chris isn't hurt, but sometimes Ginger can be a stick in the mud," he chuckled.

"So, what's she got to eat?"

Michelle smiled. "Yeah, I heard about that!" she commented. "Shaz is going to be pissed at you and so is Chris you know," she smirked, "but on the plus side you have given me a new excuse to tease Chris so thanks," she smiled as she handed him the butter, jam and bacon. Michelle frowned. "He's not hurt? So he hasn't got a broken leg?" she asked. "Shaz said his leg was in a cast."

Anna got up and took the bacon off Michelle and set it into a pan to cook while Melissa dug around for some bread. Alyssa grimaced as the bacon started hissing and sizzling and stood. Food and hangovers for her was a bad combo. The smell of food made her retch. "I'm off guys," she smiled and hugged each of them briefly before grabbing the coat she had brought to Shaz' before going out last night and making her way home.

"No, he's not really hurt. Simon was drunk and we managed to convince him to plaster Chris' leg," Rhys chuckled, "my idea."

Rhys put the butter and jam on the table and stood back out of the way so the girls could cook. He sipped his tea and watched Michelle over the rim of his mug while he waited for Ginger to grab him and drag him to fetch Chris.

Michelle grabbed a spoon from the drawer and peeled the lid off her chocolate mousse as she bumped the fridge door shut with her hip. "You're quite the practical joker from what Ginger's been saying" she smiled. "Does no one ever get you back?" she questioned curiously.

"Of course," Rhys told her with a grin. "Lots of people try to get me back. I welcome it. Wouldn't make pulling the pranks worth it otherwise."

He grinned and sidled closer to her. "Why? You looking to take vengeance on behalf of your sister?" he asked her.

Ginger stood by the door, tapping his foot and waiting for Shaz. Why did women take so long!

"Rhys, you better be ready to go when Shaz gets out here," he called out. Rhys rolled his eyes and grinned at Michelle.

"Like an old woman sometimes," he told her.

/\\\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\\\\\/\/\

Shaz blasted her hair with the hairdryer, wincing at the harsh noise it made, for all she felt better after the shower she still didn't feel 100%. She ignored it as best she could and tried to dry her hair as thoroughly and as quickly as she could.

Shaz finally emerged from the bedroom and checked her handbag for cash. No doubt Chris would be starving. She smiled at the girls and told them they could stay for as long as they needed to sort themselves out then smacked Rhys over the head.

"Idiot," she grumbled at him as she grabbed the bag of Chris' stuff and went outside to the car.

Rhys frowned at Shaz then took Michelle's hand and kissed it before following Shaz to the door. He winked at Ginger as he climbed in the back.

Michelle rolled her eyes as the door swung shut behind the three of them. Rhys Griffyths was not only a practical joker, he was a certifiable flirt! She dug into her mousse with a smirk. She could have some fun with that while she was up here.

JT left the pub and headed for the restaurant, waving at Syed as he saw the other man walking in the same direction. He slowed down so Syed could catch up and nodded.

"So, I forgot to ask," Syed began, "how did the family dinner the other night go?"

"Okay, I think. Ro and Roxy went into another room and had a little talk and they seemed to be okay when they came back into the kitchen. Ro's hard to read sometimes. But I think Roxy convinced her that she's with me cause she loves me and nothing to do with getting at Rowan or anything," he told Syed with a long sigh. "I'm powerful glad of it I can tell you. The frostiness twixt them was more than I could bear at times."

Ronnie rolled over and groaned. Why was she so uncomfortable! She knew part of it was because she was just over 8 months pregnant, but she was aching!

Jack heard her groan and rolled towards her. "You all right, Ron?" he asked.

"I don't know, I...ache...my back," she whined.

"I'll go get the kettle on, you relax," he told her and pressed a kiss to her lips before heading into the kitchen.

"Thanks, Jack," Ronnie said with a smile and watched him go. She rubbed at her belly and felt her flesh ripple under her hand.

"Oh, oh, no," she gasped. "Jack! Jack, I think I'm in labor!" she called out and then gasped in pain. Jack came running into the room.

"What?"

"I've gone into labor, Jack, help me up," she said. He slung her arm around his shoulder and helped her up from the bed. He looked down at the flannel pajamas she was wearing. "Do you want me to help you change?"

She shook her head. "No, call Charlie and get my bag, I'll go wait in the front room," she said. He held her steady until she was moving and grabbed up his phone and called Charlie as he rushed over to get her bag from the wardrobe.

He flipped the phone shut after Charlie agreed to be at the flat soon and carried the bag in. He brought her shoes in and sat down to help her put them on before he sat down with her on the couch and wrapped her in his arms.

"Guess we're going to find out what we're having soon enough. Good thing you went shopping when you did," he told her with a grin. "The room looks great, you and Roxy did a good job."

"Thanks, Jack," she said softly and kissed him.

Charlie drove them to the hospital and Jack got Ronnie checked in while a nurse wheeled her away.

"But things are worked out now?" Syed asked.

JT nodded. "Seems so, fingers crossed, knock wood and all that," he said with a grin. He let them in to the restaurant and was surprised to see Rowan sitting at one of the tables drinking coffee and talking on the phone.

"What, not hungover from last night?" JT teased her.

"Yes, so keep the volume down for a bit," she said as she covered the mouthpiece.

"Did you get into any trouble?" he asked and looked at Syed.

"No, of course not," she snorted.

"Did you drink wine?"

"I honestly don't know. There was champagne, I'm sure I must have when I was drunk enough. I'll have to see the pictures, anyway, get to work, you're not paid to stand here and mouth off to the boss," she ordered him and made a shoo-ing gesture.

JT chuckled and headed into the kitchen. Rowan sighed and went back to the phone.

"Where was I?"

Ray grinned. "Just dumped him on the train with just his undies!" he told her and grumbled. "I'll pop up there later today, he knew what he was letting himself in for when he let me plan the Stag and besides, half of this was Rhys' idea, I actually tamed some of the stuff down! The original plan was to send him somewhere that doesn't speak English! You know how much of a div he is! He would've thought his brain wasn't working or something," Ray retorted. "So in actual fact he should be thanking me that we only sent him to Scotland!"

"Oh, Ray, he is going to get back at you, you know," she scolded. "I really can't believe you. We didn't do anything like that to Shaz. There was a lot of booze and there was a stripper, and more booze. Woke up in Shaz' flat, everyone passed out all around," she chuckled. "It looked like a bomb had gone off."  
She went and poured herself another cup of coffee.

"Hey, would you cook me some bacon and scramble me some eggs?" she asked JT. He nodded.

"So, did you have a stripper too?" she asked, her tone teasing and curious.

Ray grinned. "I vaguely remember a woman dancing around in very little, but I booked a stripper so I'm guessing that was her. Rhys enjoyed it," he snickered.

"And how come you don't sound hungover?" she demanded, slightly annoyed.

Ray grinned. "Because I'm talking to you Ro, my head actually feels like its about to explode, but I can't actually find the stamina to move," he told her. "As long as Rhys doesn't turn the lights on I'll be fine," he sighed and rolled onto his side.

"Aww, my poor love, you probably should get the stamina to move?" she teased. "Do you want me to come get you? I can bring you some of the tea."

Ray grinned. "Nah, I'm good. Just lazy," he told her. Ray smiled. "I'll be along home soon, anyway," he commented as he stretched.

"Okay, then. What would you like to eat when you get home?" she asked him.

Ray grinned "Fry up! As if you had to ask!" he snorted.

"Well, I had to ask because I don't know what time you're coming home, do I? Sitting here, with next to nothing on, all by myself..." she trailed off and gave an over-dramatic sigh. "Whatever am I to do?"

Ray sighed theatrically. "Well, I suppose I could find the strength to get up and come home," he said "Just to keep you entertained," he added with a smile.

"Well, try not to make it sound like such a chore!" she laughed at him. "Text me when you're on your way and I'll make sure your breakfast is ready when you get here."

"So, apart from getting trashed and having a stripper, what else did you girls get up to?" he enquired nosily.

"You know, I don't actually remember. I think I was dancing," she told him. "I'm pretty sure I remember dancing," she chuckled.

"Mmmmmmmm, I've seen your dancing, Ro," he teased. "You had a nice time though?" he pressed.

"Maybe I'll dance for you tonight," she purred. "My shoulder is healed up well enough and yes, I think I had fun at the party."

"You think?" he chuckled. "Good, at least you remember as much as I do."

She giggled. "I'll have to see if I have any pictures on my phone, I'm interested to see what I don't remember."

"Mmmmmmmmm...what if you find something you don't like?" he chuckled.

She shrugged and drained her coffee.

"I suppose if I find something I don't like, I find something I don't like. It happens. I think if I had done something too bad, Lyss would have dragged me away."

"I'm off the sofa now" he informed her as he rolled and fell in a heap on the floor. He grunted and stood up. Some of the guys were in the kitchen, rifling through drawers and cupboards for food.

Rowan chuckled as she heard Ray hit the floor.

"You okay?" she asked as she stifled her laughter.

"I'll text you in a bit, Ro," he informed her. "See you in a bit," he said with a smile and ended the call. Ray smirked at the guys as he hung up the phone. "You know, if you want good food I know a great restaurant," he offered.

"Right, see you soon," she said and closed her phone. She put it down and smiled at JT as he brought her a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon and she quickly dug in as she glanced at her phone and then picked it up and started looking for pictures. She laughed at the ones she'd taken with her phone. The dancing ones were eyebrow raising. Several of the girls dancing with the stripper, she didn't see one of herself, so no one had taken one with her camera.

One where she was goofing off dancing with Alyssa. She had to laugh at it. She decided to leave it. She had no secrets from Ray, she didn't really have any to keep. She applied herself to her food again and watched for a text from Ray.

Gene sat on his couch and eyed his phone. He really wanted to see Alex. He huffed out a breath and picked up the phone and called her.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Alex rolled her eyes at Ginger at Rhys' behaviour. She frowned as she heard her phone and left the kitchen to try and find her bag amongst the scatterings of clothes and cushions and shoes. She smiled as she found it under Anna's pillow and pulled out her phone. Her heart leapt at the caller and she moved away from the group of girls and Rhys and Ginger to answer. "Gene," she smiled as she pressed the phone to her ear.

"Why aren't you here yet?" he rumbled. "I've got tea and bought some bacon sandwiches, and you need to get here now. We've got a whole day together if you hurry," he said, a slight teasing tone in his voice.

Alex smiled. "Gimme a sec to say my goodbyes and I'll be up," she chuckled as she turned and looked at the small group and hung up her phone. She shoved it into her bag and smiled at the hungover group of girls. "I've got to go," she smiled at them and gave each woman and Ginger a quick hug. "I'll see you all later, say bye to Shaz for me?" she asked. After a nod from Alyssa she beamed and left the flat. Alex looked at the stairs and smiled as she made her way up them.

She sighed happily as she reached his front door and tapped it gently.

Gene opened the door, grabbed Alex's arm and dragged her into the flat and wrapped her in his arms.  
"Bout time you got here," he murmured and caught her lips in a kiss.

Alex slid her arms around him happily as her bag dropped to the floor. She hadn't felt this free in quite some time. Evan had taken the week off, starting the day before the Hen and Stag, so she had 6 glorious days to spend with Gene. Unless Evan had a crisis with Molly which she was praying wouldn't happen.

She broke the kiss and looked up at his face as she hugged him tightly. "I've needed this, your arms around me," she told him quietly. "I feel so much stronger when you're with me," she murmured as she pressed soft kisses up his neck.

"I've needed you in my arms, Bolly," he picked her up and carried her to his bedroom and tossed her onto the bed. He climbed onto the bed next to her and pulled her close.

"Just a nap for now, then lunch, then...well, we'll see," he told her as he trailed a finger down her chest.

Alex snuggled into him. "Good, I've got one hell of a hangover," she mumbled into his chest as her eyes drooped.


	23. Chapter 23

We do not own EastEnders, Ashes to Ashes, Waterloo Road or Doctors

**Chapter 23**

Ray sent off a text to Rowan as he led the group of grumbling, hungover men towards the restaurant. His eyes darted to the windows above as they drew nearer and he smiled. Rowan was in there, and hopefully some food for him, too. He tapped on the glass of the window as to wave at Syed and JT as he pushed open the door and ushered the lads inside. They crowded around a table and Ray went directly to the kitchen. "They were on the stag last night, hungover and in desperate need of food," he told them. "Mornin' by the way," he smiled as he left the kitchen and darted upstairs.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Rowan finished cooking Ray's breakfast and poured his tea and put it on the table. She could feel him in the building and fussed with the cutlery before pouring herself another coffee. She sat down at the table and watched the flat door, a smile lighting her face as she waited, knowing he was going to walk through the door any moment.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

James groaned at the sight of the hungover group of men. He just hoped none of them would be sick. Thankfully, there weren't many people in just now. He walked over and took their orders.

Hours later, Ginger found the train station with little effort.

He looked at Shaz.

"You go, we'll wait here," he told her.

Shaz grabbed up Chris' bag of clothes and left the car as she was told. She walked into the station and glanced around for Chris. She smiled as she spotted him and made her way over. He really did have a cast on his leg, she smiled at the hilarity of the situation and frowned at the thought that this could've been their wedding day had she not known exactly what Rhys and Ray were like. She sat down next to Chris and handed him the bag. "I got you a McDonald's as well, if you're quick there might be some left by the time we get back in the car," she informed him.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Ray inhaled deeply as he entered his home and let the door slam shut behind him. He beamed at Rowan as he spotted her and his stomach emitted an impatient rumble as his eyes were drawn to the food. First things first.

Ray pulled Rowan into a semi-standing position and kissed her before pulling away with a grin and taking his seat at the table and grabbing his knife and fork. "So, any incriminating pictures?" he inquired curiously as he tucked into his breakfast.

Rowan kissed him back, ignoring the smell of alcohol coming from him and propped her chin in her hand as she sat and watched him eat. She picked up her phone and got to the pictures and slid the phone over to him.

"I don't seem to have any that are too bad," she told him. "Hard to say what anyone else has photos of, if any. Shaz' friends were pretty hammered, so they may have stopped taking pictures at some point, might have forgotten they even had cameras," she chuckled.

"I wonder how mad Shaz is going to be at you. I wouldn't want her maiming you in some way," she told him, "no matter how much you might deserve it."

She went and grabbed the tea pot and refilled his tea. She put the pot down and placed slow kisses up his neck and gently nibbled his earlobe.

"I'm pretty possessive and I might have to hurt her back if she did something to you," she breathed in his ear before standing up and moving back to her chair and sitting down. She smirked at him and propped her chin in her hand again as a memory drifted through her mind from several months ago, when Jack had had that school party and that former colleague of his had made a move on Ray, right there in the cafe, right in front of Rowan.

She'd made sure the woman fully regretted setting eyes on Ray before she'd run in terror from the cafe. Rowan remembered the priceless look on Ray's face when she'd floored the woman so easily. But the best had been at Chris and Shaz' engagement party. Gene had been drunk and started teasing her and she'd got fed up and warned him to stop. He hadn't listened and had dared her to do something and she quickly proved she could take him down as well. Granted, he had been drunk, but she imagined he was no easier to best whether he was drunk or sober.

She watched Ray look through the pictures as he ate and smiled.

She suddenly realized she felt very...odd...and frowned, but the feeling soon faded. She blinked and wondered what it had been and then took a sip of her coffee. Still recovering from the hangover.

Ray grinned at her. "I won't need you to fight my battles Ro, besides, it was Rhys too! He has to take half of Shaz' wrath. Mind you, I doubt Chris is too happy," he shrugged and grabbed the phone as he shovelled more food into his mouth. He chuckled at some of the pictures and flicked through them carefully.

He passed her back the phone. "If that's what you were doing before you got utterly smashed I hate to think what you were doing after," he grinned at her as he finally put his cutlery down and took the plate and mug into the kitchen. He kissed the top of her head as he passed. "I'm going for a shower," he told her as he made his way to the bathroom.

"I behaved," she told him tartly. "Besides," she said and reached over to stroke Ray's hand, "no one compares to you."

She watched as he headed for the bathroom, tempted to join him since he did have the day off. But she didn't, not really. She made him a cup of the hangover tea and took it into the bathroom and put it on the counter next to the sink and poked her head around the shower curtain.

"I left you some special tea for your hangover, I'll be downstairs if you need anything," she told him as she eyed his body appreciatively. He was so nicely put together. Something suddenly occurred to her. "Is there a match on today?"

Ray turned to look at her and frowned as he thought then grinned. "Yeah, United vs Villa!" he chuckled "Will you get me my footy shirt?" he asked. He loved watching football with her. She made it more enjoyable when they scored! He was sorely tempted to pull her into the shower with him, but they would probably miss the game if he did! He grinned as he hurried up with his shower so he wouldn't miss the match.

Rowan nodded and went to fetch his shirt while she sent off a quick text to JT that there was a match on and to call if they needed her. She got the shirt out of the drawer and put it on the counter in the bathroom and then went to inventory the kitchen to see what they could eat.

There were plenty of cans in the fridge and she quickly slapped together some pastry dough and made some sausage rolls. While they were baking she quickly peeled and chopped up some potatoes and dumped them in the fryer to make chips.

She went in and turned on the TV and flipped through the channels till she found the one the match was airing on and then headed back into the kitchen to keep an eye on the food. She finished the chips, grabbed down a bowl and dumped them in it and grabbed the brown sauce and put it on the coffee table. She got the sausage rolls from the oven and put them on a plate and then grabbed several cans and put it all on the coffee table. She stood with her hands on her hips and looked it over and nodded. It would do.

She sat down and pulled her feet up on the couch and waited for Ray as she listened to the idle pre-match talk and sipped from a can.

Ray towelled himself dry and smiled at the shirt she had got him that was waiting for him. He shoved it over his head and pushed his legs back into his jeans. He sniffed curiously as he came out of the bathroom and smiled, she had been cooking. He eyed the food with a grin and flopped onto the sofa next to her and kept one eye on the screen while the pre-match discussions were happening. He reached for a can and opened it happily. He threw an arm around her shoulders as he leant back, resting the can on his knee and waited for the game to start.

Rowan settled against him and adjusted the scarf around her neck that Ray had bought her.

"We should go to one in person, don't you think? I mean, we have the car and I have been to Manchester before, lived there nearly a year," she said and took a sip from her drink.

Ray raised his eyebrows at her. "You want to go to an actual match?" he asked "You do know that almost every match results in a riot of some kind don't you? I'd hate for someone to get hurt when you floor them," he grinned at her. "I'll see about it, been ages since I saw United play," he mused.

"I'm not going to be able to put my trousers on over this cast," Chris complained as he shrugged off the jacket he'd been huddled in and pulled on the shirt. "Look, I'll just put this jacket back on, get me in the car and feed me. Some traveler took pity on me a few hours ago and gave me a cheese sandwich, but it didn't help much."

He stopped as he saw Rhys in the car.

"What did you bring him for? Is it so I can kill him?" Chris wanted to know. Rhys had the grace to look ashamed of what he'd done and got out of the car.

"Look, your leg isn't really broken. We sort of bullied Simon into doing it. He'll get it off you if you stop by the surgery."

He looked at Chris and then shrugged.

"We were drunk, what can I say? Sorry, mate."

Chris sighed and got in the car, not yet ready to forgive Rhys his antics.

Shaz shook her head at him as she lead him back to the car and took the McDonald's off the dashboard and handed it to him before climbing back into the front.

Shaz shrugged at Chris. "Do what you like. He already got a bollocking off me on the way up here! I mean, Aberdeen! Seriously!" she snorted.

Jack held Ronnie's hand tightly and encouraged her as she pushed.

"You're doing good, Ron, that's it," he coached. "I love you," he pressed a kiss to her hand just as she got ready for the final push. The baby was finally born and they hurriedly bundled the tiny boy up and gave him to Ronnie.

"Oh, Ron, he's amazing," Jack breathed and kissed her forehead as he pulled a chair over to sit close by. "What are we going to name him?"

Ronnie looked at him. "I don't know," she replied and looked back at the baby. "Jack Jr?" she asked and Jack grinned and kissed her properly.

"I love it. I love you," he said and slid an arm behind her and smiled.

"I love you, too, Jack. I don't think I've ever been so happy," she told him and looked back at the baby.

Jack came out and grinned at Roxy, JT and Peggy as they sat waiting to hear the news.

"She's had a boy and we're calling him Jack Jr," he told them.

"Can we go see her?" Peggy wanted to know and Jack nodded. She jumped up, gave Jack a quick hug which he returned and then she headed in to see Ronnie.

"Oh, he's lovely," Peggy said as she bent over and looked at the tiny baby in Ronnie's arms.

"Would you like to hold him, Aunty Peg?"

Peggy snorted. "As if you had to ask," she replied and carefully took the small bundle.

Roxy smiled at her aunt and new nephew and made her way to Ronnie's bedside. She wrapped her arms around her sister. "Well done, Ron," she whispered. "He's beautiful," she smiled as she kissed Ronnie's forehead and pulled back to look at baby Jack.

"Thanks, Rox," Ronnie said as she hugged her sister back tightly. "It was over so quick! I think I was lucky," she remarked with a chuckle.

Peggy looked at Roxy.

"Would you like your turn?" she asked Roxy and held the baby out slightly.

Roxy looked apprehensively at Ronnie, then Jack and finally back at the baby. She nodded and took the tiny child into her arms. She smiled down at her nephew, Amy's half brother and cousin. That was...disturbing. Not that Jack ever spent much time with her, JT was more of a Dad to her than Jack. Now Jack would spend time with his son, leaving even less for his daughter. Her family was messed up!

She rocked the baby gently for a moment then handed her back to Ronnie "He's got your eyes, Ron," she commented.

"You think so?" Ronnie asked curiously and looked down at the baby. She looked back up at Roxy. "I don't see it, I'll take your word for it," she told her sister with a smile.

"Amy will have to come over a lot so he'll have someone to play with," Jack told Roxy.

"Yes, we could do weekly family dinners or something," Ronnie agreed and smiled wider at her sister.

Roxy beamed at the pair of them and nodded readily "I'd like that, and I'm sure Amy would, too," she smiled at them as she took her seat on Ronnie's bed again.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Chris gratefully took the food from Shaz and immediately started eating.

"Thanks for coming to help us out, Ginger," Chris told him.

"No trouble. I got a couple lads from night to cover for us and Rhys has agreed to pay them back himself, haven't you Rhys?" Ginger finished sternly.

"Yes, yes, I have. It was just a joke, Chris."

Chris barely glanced at Rhys and then looked back out the window as he ate. Ginger sighed and shook his head. It was going to be a long drive home.

Shaz shivered at the tense atmosphere in the back of the car and switched on the radio to provide herself with a distraction. Maybe she should have made Chris sit in the front and she sit with Rhys. It was definitely bad planning to have them together in the back of the car.

Ginger stopped at the surgery when they got back to the Square and Chris thanked him as he got out of the car.

"You're sure he can take this thing off?" Chris asked.

Ginger nodded. "I asked him. He told me he never would have agreed no matter what if he couldn't remove it."

Chris nodded and grabbed his trousers. He looked at Shaz.

"You coming with me?"

Shaz nodded and thanked Ginger for the lift to Aberdeen and back before climbing out of the car and shooting Rhys a vengeful look. She took Chris' hand and walked into the surgery with him, holding his bag of clothes in her other hand. "So, apart from being shipped to the other end of the country, how was the stag?" she smiled.

"It was fine. They got a stripper and I think Rhys copped off with her somewhere," he told her as he leaned on her to get down the stairs. He went into the surgery and knocked on the door leading from the waiting area to Simon's office since the receptionist wasn't in on Saturday.

Simon opened the door.

"Hi, Chris. If I'd known they were going to stick you on the train to somewhere I never would have put the cast on you."

"It's fine, it's not your fault," Chris told him. "Let's just get this thing off my leg."

Simon smiled. "Sure, come on in."

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Rowan woke and rubbed her face, trying to dispel the unsettling dreams she had had. She cuddled up to Ray and sighed. She was looking forward to going to Manchester for a match. She propped her chin on his chest and gazed at him as he slept. She thought back to the day they'd met and couldn't help but smile. She furrowed her brow as she remembered something else-that feeling of malevolence she'd felt in the hall at his old station.

She laid her head on his chest and mused over it. She wondered if it was still there. That idea scared her slightly, but she wanted to know more about it. She pressed several kisses to his chest and gave a small smile and began trailing her kisses lower. She loved waking him up like this.

Ray frowned as he felt a wonderful sensation building, clearly that was what had woken him, but where was it coming from? He pushed himself closer to being awake and instantly recognised the feeling growing inside him. He looked down and half smiled at Rowan before groaning, he wasn't complaining, but why she had to wake him up like this was beyond him, a simple nudge would have done it, but this was magnificent! He moaned her name as he fought to control his hips and keep them from bucking upwards.

Rowan intensified her efforts as she felt him awakening. She kept going until she pushed him over the edge and slowly eased him from her mouth. She climbed up next to him and smiled.

"Good morning," she said and pressed a kiss to his chest. "Will you do me a favor?" she asked him as she cuddled against him. "It's going to sound strange, but...well, do you remember the day we met?"

She paused to gather her thoughts. "I felt something...in the hallway there. I want you to take me to Fenchurch. I can't get it out of my head. I just...I have to see...find out what it was. It was so...evil," she shuddered. "I need to make sure I wasn't imagining it, although something tells me I wasn't."

Ray closed his arms around her as he frowned at her. "You want to go to Fenchurch East?" he clarified and he furrowed his brow as he looked down at her. "Sure," he nodded agreeably.

Ray pressed a kiss to her forehead and held her close. Something evil? At Fenchurch? He trusted her about things like this, but he was fairly sure that there was nothing evil at Fenchurch Station.

"Thank you. I just need to see and I don't want to go alone. It may be nothing…I could be remembering it wrong. I was really very nervous going there with Alex," she sighed. "But I can't get it out of my head."

That wasn't all that was bothering her, but she didn't know how to tell him about the rest. They had never talked about kids and she had no idea how to bring it up. She had no idea how he would react to the fact that she'd found out she was pregnant. But she needed to do this before she told him anything. If he knew and if he thought it might be dangerous at all, he wouldn't take her, and she needed to go. She had to see what was there, if anything.

She pushed her worries aside; it wouldn't do for him to pick up on it, and slid her hand down and stroked her fingers over him. She smiled as she felt him stir.

"So, are you ready for more?" she asked him playfully and pounced.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\

She lay back and gasped for air when they'd finished. She rolled up on her side and propped her head on her hand as she gazed at him, her other hand sliding across his chest and holding him tight. She stared into his eyes and moved her hand up to caress his cheek.

"I love you, Ray," she whispered as she stroked her thumb across his lips. She leaned over and pressed her lips to his before burying her face in his neck. Somehow she couldn't shake the terrifying feeling that everything was going to change.

Ray held Rowan close and sighed happily. "I love you too, Rowan," he smiled then patted her back. "Come on, time to get up, I've got to get a shower, then you've got to feed me before we make our way over to Fenchurch, I'm thinking the sooner we put your mind at ease the better," he shrugged as he kissed her forehead gently and nudged her to make her move.

Rowan laughed and tweaked his nose before rolling out of bed and pulling on her dressing gown before going into the kitchen to start cooking.

"You're lucky I don't mind cooking for you or I'd probably do worse than tweak your nose," she teased him as she pulled pans out and starting cooking.

"You don't mind?" he scoffed "You love cooking for me!" he grinned

"Yeah, I do," she laughed in response to his comment.

She cooked up some vegetable and cheese omelets and toast and put Ray's plate in the oven to keep warm while she ate her breakfast.

Ray climbed off the bed after her and made his way to the bathroom as she cooked. He slipped underneath the hot jet of water and thought to himself. She was convinced that there was something there! Why? He was sure that there wasn't anything there. Nothing of importance anyway. He sighed as he washed. They would put her mind at ease and be done with it. Besides, he would see how well the new team were coping without them. The place had probably gone to the dogs.

Ray towelled himself dry and grabbed a pair of jeans and picked a top randomly out of the wardrobe and dressed himself before heading to see what she had made him for breakfast.

When he finally came into the kitchen, she got the plate and put it in front of him and gave him a look that told him not to argue. She made sure he ate healthy most days of the week and he never lacked exercise, she thought with a grin. She fixed his tea and put it on the table, then went to get ready herself.

Ray sighed and ate his way through the omelette. No meat. He liked meat, a tiny bit of bacon or a sausage? No. Cheese and vegetables. He washed it down with the tea and started washing up as he waited for her.

Rowan quickly showered and dressed. She was glad she had taken all the garbage out last night, she couldn't tell him until she knew how he might react. She braided her hair back after brushing out the tangles and drying it. She had considered getting it cut when she'd had the blond and copper streaking done, but he seemed to like her hair long and she loved him touching her hair, so she'd left it. She walked into the kitchen and slipped her arms around his waist.

"Keep doing that and we may never get out of here," she teased and indicated him washing the dishes. "You're so sexy when you're domestic," she added and chuckled.

"And I am ready to go," she said and stepped around next to him. She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder and dangled the car keys with a small smile.

Ray chuckled and shook his head at her. He snatched the keys from her grasp and ushered her out of the flat and into the car.

Keats sat in his office in the darkness, leaning back in his chair and staring up at the ceiling as he smoked. Chris and Shaz had moved away from Walford two weeks ago, Ray was well distracted by his talented and unwitting tool and Alex was spending all her time with her slightly improving daughter. It was time to take down Gene Hunt.

He blew out a long plume of smoke and smiled.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Alex sat at her kitchen table and waited for Molly to get dressed, she had promised that she would go into work today and Molly's progress with her new therapist meant she felt safe enough at the station to stay there while Alex worked, Molly had made a friend in Adam, the skipper, who kept her busy with ferrying files and documents back and forth. Alex was grateful. It kept Molly distracted and out from under her feet as she worked.

The past month had been difficult with tantrums from Molly regarding her sessions with her therapist and she had up days and down days, luckily today seemed to be an up day. Alex smiled as Molly finally emerged and gave her Mum a brave smile. Alex beamed back and took Molly's hand, she had also noticed that since Genes chat with Molly, the girl had seemed more willing to try and get better. Alex was curious what he had said but didn't want to know. It had worked whatever it was.

She ushered Molly into her small car and drove the pair of them to the station

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Gene was walking back to the station from the Minute Mart when he saw Alex's car pull up. He stayed at a distance to be out of sight and watched as she and Molly got out of the car and headed inside. He realized he shouldn't go in there, not while she had Molly with her.

Since the days they'd had together over Chris and Shaz' wedding, they'd come to an understanding and now that Molly's therapy seemed to be working they were getting more time together, not as much as he wanted, but more than they'd had before. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets and turned in the direction of the restaurant. He'd get some breakfast and then go to the station.

Keats pulled up in front of Walford station and smiled.

"I'm coming for you, Hunt," he whispered and climbed from the car. He stood next to it as he smoked and gazed at the station. He tossed the cigarette aside and strolled into the station. Gene wasn't here, he realized. He kept walking down the hall anyway and reached the door that led ultimately to Gene's office. He glanced at the end of the hall and the double doors that led to the large room where he knew they all worked. The place seemed quiet. He turned his attention back to the door right in front of him and opened it.

He looked at the two desks that faced each other across the room and to the door the aisle between the desks led to: Hunt's office. He strode purposefully across the room and opened the office door and went inside. He sat down in Gene's chair and smiled a chilling smile.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Alex held Molly's hand as she led her daughter through the station, the Quattro was parked outside, but it didn't seem like Gene was here. She held in her sigh and sat Molly down at her desk. She saw Molly's anxious look at Ray's desk and half smiled. Molly had tended to get apprehensive around Ray, no matter how friendly he was, Alex knew it was because he was a big bloke, but her reassurances didn't seem to help. "It's all right, Molls. Ray's day off today," she smiled. "I'll be back in a minute, I need to go down to the cells," she said and Molly switched on the computer as Alex walked away.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Keats heard voices in the outer room and quietly crept to the door and put his ear to it. Alex…and her daughter. Excellent.

He heard Alex leave, waited a count of five and then opened the office door. He gave Molly a goofy look of surprise when he saw her seated there and smiled.

He stepped in front of the desk, shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at her. He picked up the nameplate from the desk and showed it to her.

"Aren't you a bit young to be a DI?" he asked her, his tone light and joking.

Molly looked up at him and furrowed her brow. She had thought that was Gene's office, she had steeled herself for him when the door had opened. She was a little relieved to find it was someone else. His joke made her smile. "I'm Molly," she offered. "DI Drake's my mum," she explained to him. "I thought that was Gene's office," she accused him.

"Ohhh, I see," he said. He looked at Gene's door and then back at Molly.

"Yes, it is. But, you see, I'm a DCI too, and I look for coppers that are doing bad things and I think maybe DCI Hunt has done some bad things. I also don't like him very much," he confided as he leaned over the desk in a conspiratorial fashion. "I don't suppose you'd like to help me? I could use a sharp, smart person like you on my team," he told her and flashed a smile at her again.

Molly's interest peaked. Gene had done something bad? Good. Maybe if this DCI could prove it then her Mum wouldn't want Gene anymore and he would leave them alone. "I don't like him either," she admitted and nodded at him. "What do I need to do?" she asked curiously.

"Well, then, miss, come along with me and I will show you," he told her and held out his hand to lead her from the building.

When he got her to his car he gave her a drugged stick of chewing gum and his face twisted into a malevolent smile as he drove back to Fenchurch at top speed. He carried her to the small room that used to be his office and quickly stashed her inside. He swiftly tied her to the chair and gagged her and then walked around the station to see what, if anything, was going on.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Alex wandered back into her office clutching a load of files. She frowned. Molly wasn't here. Alex chewed her lip as she dumped the files and went to the front desk. Molly liked Adam, maybe he was with her.

She smiled at him as he finished and turned to her.

"DI Drake. What can I do for you?" he smiled.

"Adam, have you seen Molly, say, within the last 20 or so minutes?" she asked anxiously.

Adam nodded. "I saw her with that other DCI, looked like he had a job for her," he grinned at her.

Alex frowned at him. "What other DCI?"

Adam furrowed his brow. "Tall guy, skinny, wears glasses and has dark hair. He did give his name when he came in but it's slipping my mind," he replied apologetically. Alex sighed and nodded. "Have you seen Gene this morning?"

Adam shook his head. "No, Ma'am, sorry," Alex shook her head, dismissing his apology. "Thanks, Adam," she said as she went back down the hall. Molly wouldn't go off with a random DCI surely?

Gene walked slowly back to the station. He wanted to see Alex and if Molly was there, he would be polite and stay in his office, out of the way. He nodded at Adam as he passed and made his way to his office. He walked in and saw Alex sitting at her desk, no Molly.

"Where's Molly?" he asked her curiously. "I would have thought you'd bring her with you."

Alex gave him a look. "Adam said he saw her with some DCI and I'm trying to puzzle it out. We don't have any other DCIs here that I'm aware of," she sighed. "But she wouldn't go off with a stranger. I know she wouldn't, and I can't shake this feeling that something isn't right," she said as she held her forehead and tried to think. Pieces of the puzzle started to fit together, but didn't make sense. "His description sounds like Keats," she mumbled.

"Keats," Gene snarled. "He wouldn't."

"Would he?" Gene looked at her curiously as his blood ran cold.

Alex bit her lip and looked down as her phone rang. "Ray," she answered.

"Alex, you and the Guv need to get yourselves to Fenchurch. Now! Keats has got Molly. Hurry up!"

Alex heard the phone cut off and looked at Gene, her face stricken with panic. "Quattro. Now. Fenchurch. Molly," she said hastily as she grabbed her coats and pulled his arm to make him move.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Ray drove them to Fenchurch, smiling as the familiar sights of Walford faded into the familiar sights of Fenchurch. As much as he liked Walford, he missed Fenchurch, it was bigger and there was more to do: but he was happier in Walford than he had ever been in Fenchurch, in Walford he had Rowan.

He parked up outside the station and rested his hands on the steering wheel, he looked at her and then at the station "Can you feel it?" he asked curiously.

Rowan gazed up at the building. She glanced at Ray and bit her lip at his question.

"Not out here, no," she replied quietly. "We have to go in."

She drew in a deep breath and got out of the car and walked quickly into the station without waiting for Ray. She froze as she immediately felt it. It was MUCH stronger now. Before it had been somewhere around the middle of the hall, now it seemed to permeate the building. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered as she gazed down the empty hallway.

The man, Viv who had been at the desk last time wasn't there. No one was there. Maybe there was a meeting or something, she guessed. She stood and waited for Ray. She was sure he would feel it when he walked in. She knew she didn't want to move any farther without him. She pressed a hand unconsciously to her abdomen and quickly snatched it away when she heard the door open behind her. She quickly moved over close to Ray.

"It's everywhere," she whispered. "It's so much worse than it was last time. It's still hungry."

Ray slammed his car door shut and locked the car before following her into the station. He frowned. It was unusually quiet. Too quiet. He looked around, the place was empty. He suddenly shivered and reached for her hand, if he had felt it then, god only knew how Rowan was feeling. He squeezed her hand. "I felt it," he murmured.

Ray looked down at her and tugged on her hand to get her to move. He wanted to know what was causing this, now he had felt it he had trouble figuring out why Rowan had left it so long to investigate. Granted she wasn't a police officer and being curious and interfering wasn't in her job description.

He remembered her saying it had come from the middle of the corridor last time and lead her towards it. He paused in the centre and looked at her again "Where?" he whispered.

Rowan clung to his hand; his mere presence and touch made her feel better. Rowan let him lead her down the hall and closed her eyes, casting her mind back to remember where she'd been when she'd felt it. She stopped walking and opened her eyes and looked around. She looked at the door in front of her and knew. She looked up at Ray.

"Right here, it was here that I felt it back then, though it's faded. Whatever was causing it moved to somewhere else in the building."

She reached out her hand and fisted it to stop it shaking. She heaved another breath and opened her hand and turned the knob.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Molly groaned and blinked as she tried to wake up. Her head felt fuzzy and heavy. She tried to move her hand to rub her eyes, but couldn't. She tried her other hand. That wouldn't move either. Panic started to spread through her and her head shot up. She was tied to a chair. She screamed as loud as she could into the gag and pulled on the ties holding her to the chair, she couldn't move! She was scared, tears fell as she kept making noise to try and get someone, anyone to help her.

Molly looked up as the door knob twisted and the door opened, her eyes were clouded with a mixture of fright and hope as she tried to see past the light of the corridor outside. Two figures standing in the doorway. She let out another cry to try to get them to help her and twisted against the bonds holding her down.

Rowan gasped when she saw Alex's daughter tied to a chair and looking terrified.

"Molly!" she gasped and rushed into the room and began to untie the ropes. "Lady above, what is she doing here? How did she get here?"

Ray widened his eyes at the sight of Molly Drake. He knew this office; he had been interviewed by Keats in here. The Guv had deliberately continued to use it as a lost and found office. But this was Keats' office. He watched Rowan run to help Molly and whipped out his phone. Alex needed to know.

He looked up from his phone at Rowan's questions. "Keats. This is Keats' office," he told her quietly as he watched the terrified girl.

Rowan's nimble fingers rapidly untied the knots at Molly's feet but before she could untie the girl's hands, her head shot up.

Molly used her newly unstrapped feet to move the chair backwards and towards the desk, surely there would be something there she could use to untie herself. She blocked out the sounds from the corridor as she searched in vain for anything she could use.

"It's coming, Ray," she blurted, her voice shaking. She stood up and turned to Ray, pushing him out of the room. She looked down the hall and saw a tall, dark haired man wearing glasses and a large overcoat striding towards them, the cigarette jutting from his mouth streaming smoke behind him.

"It's him, it's him" she breathed. "Ray, get out of here, get Gene, get help. Hurry," she whined as her gaze met Keats.

"You!" Keats bellowed and pointed at Rowan. "Toy, my pretty tool, you stay right there," he ordered.

"Ray, run!" she shrieked at him and clenched her fists as Keats neared. She focused on Keats, hoping Ray would get out and get help.

Ray growled at Keats and his fist clenched around his phone. He pressed the green button and put the call through to Alex as he felt Rowan trying to push him away. She wanted him to leave her with this monster! Was she serious! Not going to happen. Ray shook his head and waited for Alex to pick up as he pulled Rowan behind him.

Rowan gasped in surprise as Ray pulled her behind him. She knew he wouldn't be able to protect her. This "Keats" was something else. Rowan came out from behind Ray just in time to see Keats lash out. One of his hands whipped forward and knocked the phone from Ray's hand, then he threw a roundhouse punch and knocked Ray back.

"NO!" Rowan cried and turned to Ray, but felt Keats grab hold of her arm.

"I don't think so," Keats rasped in her ear. He dragged her behind him into the room and grabbed the chair that Molly was still tied to and pulled it out into the hallway. He checked that her wrists were still tied tight behind her before turning his attention to Rowan.

"You did even better than I thought you would, Little Tool," he told her.

"What are you talking about?"

"Helping me bring down Gene Hunt," he told her and smiled. "I sent you the dreams; you helped me bring this reality into existence all because you wished you'd met him first," he told her with a gesture at Ray. Rowan's brow furrowed in confusion. Her head hurt. She put her hands to her head and began to remember the dreams. She shook her head to try and make it stop.

"I'm surprised you honestly fell in love with him," Keats sneered and then looked at her, "well, well, and then some," he added and laughed. He looked over at Ray.

"He's such a sad excuse for a man, really, what did you see in him?" he asked her, his expression curious. Rowan's hand snaked out and slapped Keats. He put his hand to his cheek and chuckled as his other hand came up to grab her wrist.

"Naughty, naughty," he scolded her and then turned his head as the doors flew open.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Gene ran to the Quattro and jumped in and made the car nearly fly to Fenchurch. He climbed out of the car and slammed the doors open and frowned as he saw Keats in the hall. He noticed Keats had Rowan by the wrist and he saw Molly tied to a chair behind them. He strode up to Ray and helped him off the floor before continuing on to Keats and letting fly a punch.

Keats fell back, letting go of Rowan's wrist in surprise as he hit the floor. Rowan went to Molly and hunched over the girl protectively and pushed her away from the two men as Gene drew his leg back and kicked Keats hard. Keats rolled from the kick and jumped to his feet. He wiped blood from his split lip and grinned at Gene.

"Nice to see you, Hunt. It's time for you to go down."

Gene shook his head. "I don't think so," he countered and threw another punch.

Ray looked from Gene and Keats to Rowan and Molly and made his decision. He stumbled towards Rowan, clutching his head as he went, he didn't think Keats had it in him to throw a punch that hard. The idiot had almost knocked him out. Ray felt dizzy. He pushed Molly and her chair further out of the way of the punch up and took Rowan's shoulders gently. He kissed her forehead and looked back at Molly.

"Let's untie you then," he smiled at her.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Alex hurled out of the station after Gene and clambered into her own car. She raced after the Quattro as Gene drove more frantically than usual and managed to lose him. She snarled as she spotted a traffic jam starting and pulled the blue light out of her draw and placed it on her roof. The light and sound caused the traffic to split and make way for her as she drove towards Fenchurch.

Alex parked up behind the Quattro and didn't bother locking her car as she ran into the station. She glared at Keats as she took in the scene and felt satisfied when she watched Gene throw a well-aimed punch at him. She gasped as she saw Molly and hurled herself at her daughter and wiped her tears away "It's okay Molls, it's okay," she whispered softly and as calmly as she could as she hugged her daughter as best she could and tried to calm her sobbing. She smiled at Ray as he attempted to untie the binds holding Molly to the chair and fixed her furious glare at Keats.

Rowan watched the punches fly fast and furious between the two men. It was so savage and brutal she wanted to look away, but she couldn't. She was barely aware of Ray kissing her forehead and glanced at him as he began to untie Molly. She turned back to Gene and Keats while Alex and Ray were focused on Molly and gasped as Keats threw a punch and knock Gene down hard. Rowan ran towards him and Keats caught her around the waist and dragged her back and kicked Gene several times.

Alex and Ray untied Molly and the girl flew into her mother's arms. Alex hugged the girl tightly to her as Ray kicked the chair in frustration.

Alex looked up from Molly's head as she heard and thump and saw Gene go down, her breath caught and she made to go to him when Molly's tight grasp around her made her pause and try to pry her hands from her waist.

Ray growled as Keats caught Rowan and his fists clenched. No!

Rowan struggled, but Keats had her back to him against his side so he could see Ray and Alex. He put his hands on Rowan's upper arms to hold her still and then latched a hand on the back of her neck.

"Now you behave, Little Toy," he told her.

"He's down now. Leave," he informed Alex and Ray. "You owe him nothing."

"Choose your daughter, Alex Drake, Hunt can't give you anything, not here, not now," he grinned. "I fixed everything, this one made a very good tool for that," he said and shook Rowan.

He turned to Ray and held up his hand to keep the man from rushing at him.

"Ah, ah," he warned and waved his forefinger. "I can give it all back to you," he told Ray as his lips twisted into a smile. "You don't owe Hunt anything, and your other life, well, let's just say you're missing out," he added with a low, menacing chuckle. "Let me show you."

He made a tossing gesture with his free hand and flooded Ray's mind with the memories of his life with Ronnie.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Rowan rolled her eyes to the side so she could look at Keats and he grinned up at her before looking back at Ray and Alex. Rowan titled her head slightly and was able to see Gene on the floor behind Keats; he was slowly and quietly getting up.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Alex shook her head fiercely. She wasn't leaving with Molly AND Gene. She was in love with the man, Keats couldn't ask her to make that choice. She wouldn't make that choice. She glared at him as she kept her arms tight around Molly as the girl held onto her. She was staying put.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Ray growled low in his throat. Keats was going to let go of Rowan! Now! He took a step towards Keats as his fists clenched once more and closed his eyes as the memories flooded his mind. Ronnie Mitchell? The memories were coming back and he was confused. He stood stock still as pictures flashed in his mind.

Keats laughed as he saw Ray freeze. Rowan nearly whimpered, but stifled it. She saw Alex's defiance and willed her to keep Keats' attention off Gene, who had got to his feet and was quietly creeping towards Keats.

She looked at Ray and sighed inwardly. Keats looked at Rowan again and leaned towards her.

"Shame you never told him about the baby, of course, he's got that with her, too," he taunted. Rowan shifted her gaze to Keats and felt rage well up inside her. How dare he play games with her like this? She pushed past the turmoil in her mind and twisted in his grasp. She slammed her foot into his knee and sank her teeth into his arm.

Keats immediately yelped in pain and dropped her and Gene struck from behind him, spinning Keats around and slamming his fist square into Keats' face. Rowan fell to the floor in a heap and turned her head to see Gene attack Keats and heard the crunch of Keats' nose breaking.

Keats staggered back and Rowan stuck her foot out to make sure Keats tripped on it. Keats went down in a heap and Gene leapt on him and grabbed Keats' head in his hands. He looked at Alex and Molly.

"Time to end it," he growled. "I love you, Alex and you, Molly," he said to them and then looked back down at Keats.

Alex looked at Gene and tightened her hold on Molly. End it? What did he mean 'end it'? She gazed at him as Molly buried her face into her mum's side. Alex stroked Molly's hair and looked anxiously at Gene, silently wishing she understood what he meant. Her gaze wouldn't move from his face. The piercing blue eyes she loved that were so focused on whatever he was planning, his mane of blond hair, the trademark pout that always made her smile. She caught his gaze and looked directly into his eyes. "I love you, Gene," she spoke softly and felt Molly's tight grip suddenly increase.

Gene slammed Keats' head down hard on the floor. Rowan cringed and looked away.

Gene sighed and put his hand to Keats' neck. Keats wasn't dead. Keats' sort never died. He stood up and shook his head and blinked several times before refocusing on Alex and Molly. He walked over to them and pulled them both against him. He hurt all over from his fight with Keats, but he had to hold his family.

He looked at Alex. "Sam is safe with the minder," he half-questioned, half-stated. His life alone that Keats had created was slowly fading from his memory as his life with Alex and Molly and Sam returned. "I need to get that out of here," he said and gestured at Keats' body. He tightened his arms around Alex and Molly again and pressed his lips to Alex's before limping over and hauling Keats from the floor and slinging the man over his shoulder.

"I'll be home later," he told Alex then looked at Rowan. "Thank you for helping distract him."

Rowan lifted her face and looked at Gene and nodded.

She was slumped cross-legged on the floor, feeling the memories of her other life fading as tears slipped down her cheeks. She felt sick at the way Keats had used her to hurt everyone. She just hoped the memories of what Keats had done to her and said to her faded the way everything else was. She wasn't sure she could cope otherwise. At least her head wasn't hurting anymore. Not that that mattered. She draped her arms across her knees and dropped her head to lean on them and sighed.

Ray blinked and then screwed his eyes shut tightly, he was so confused. He was with...Ronnie? No, Rowan. No! Ronnie! He nearly screamed at himself in frustration, but decided to thump the wall with his fist instead as his proper memories returned and his other false memories gradually started blurring. He let out a sigh as his head rested against the glass of his old office.

Molly finally released Alex and looked around, she felt a little dizzy, but Gene was okay. She sighed in relief and looked up at Alex's face for a moment before observing the other people around her; she frowned as she spotted Rowan and cautiously made her way over. She sat down next to her and tilted her head a little as she looked at her. "Rowan, are you okay?" she asked softly.

Alex shuddered, she could've lost him. She could've lost Gene, and Molly. She clutched her arms around her, she had to get home, hold her baby, put her children to bed and then feel her husband's arms around her. She needed him. She looked down at Molly sitting next to Rowan and then and Ray who was propped up against a wall. She made her way over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Ray," she said gently. Ray's head lifted from the wall and his fists unclenched as he turned and looked at Alex, "I'm alright Alex," he assured her as he rubbed his hand through his hair. "I'm fine," he repeated.

Rowan lifted her head and looked at Molly and shook her head. She wasn't sure she would ever be okay again. She got to her feet and wrapped her arms around herself. She looked at Alex and then at Ray then turned towards the door. She walked slowly outside and leaned against the building and dragged out a cigarette with a shaking hand and lit it and took a long drag.

She watched Gene drive off in Keats' car and wondered where he was taking the monster then decided she didn't care. It wouldn't change anything. She leaned her head against the wall and silently smoked and mourned her loss.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Ray's eyes tracked Rowan as she left the station, surely she could remember, too. He could, it was starting to get a bit hazy, but he could still see most of it. He gave Alex a quick pat on the shoulder before making his way silently after Rowan.

Alex turned to Molly and held out her hand with a smile. "Home Molls, I need to get back to Sam, and you need to get your Homework sorted," she smiled as Molly clutched her hand and walked with her Mum to the car.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Gene drove far outside of London. His skin crawled being in Keats car, but he didn't want to soil the Quattro by putting Keats in it. He hoped Alex drove it home. He didn't want it left at Fenchurch. He drove until he found quiet countryside and a likely looking lake. He drove the car to the lake and looked around. No one seemed to be nearby, he smiled.

He pulled Keats from the car and dragged him to the lake, used some rope he found in the boot to tie the car jack to Keats legs and dumped him in. He would have preferred to shoot the man, but this wasn't as loud, and, he realized, he'd left his gun in the Quattro. He walked back to the car and headed home.

Alex looked from her car to the Quattro and sighed. She supposed that the Quattro was the better choice, it was faster and she didn't reckon that Gene would come back for it now. She would get him to drive her back tomorrow to pick up her car. Alex dug in her pocket and pulled out Gene's keys then ushered Molly into the Quattro and started for home.

She pulled up outside the flat and Molly took Alex's car keys and went to open the door with the house key attached to the keyring. The sound of her sons crying reached her ears the moment Molly opened the door and Alex hastily locked the car and hurried inside. Joanna stood with a bawling Sam in her arms, trying desperately to calm him down. Alex half smiled and took her son from the child minder. He calmed almost instantly and a happy gurgling sound took the place of his cries. Joanna stood and watched incredulously but held up her hands in defeat.

"Magic Touch, Jo," Alex smiled and Joanna nodded in agreement. "I can see that, it still amazes me every time though," she smiled. Alex dug in her bag, pulled out her purse and paid Joanna so the girl could leave. She took Sam through to the lounge and collapsed onto the sofa with him and sat him on her lap. She sighed and played with the wispy hair growing steadily on his head.

Gene pulled into Walford and found an empty parking garage and left Keats car inside and got a cab to the flat. He trudged gratefully inside and smiled when he saw Alex and the baby on the couch. He dropped next to her.

"Hopefully that is the last we'll see of Keats," he rumbled and slid his arm around her shoulder to hold her close. "Thank you for believing in me, kept Keats from winning," he told her.

Alex rested her head on his shoulder and raised her eyes to his face. "He can't break us Gene, no one can," she told him softly and gave him a small smile then dropped her gaze back to Sam on her lap and smiled at him too. She was incredibly glad that she had her family back.

/\\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\\/\/\/\\/\/\\/\\\/\/\

Ray spotted Rowan outside and made his way cautiously towards her. He reached out, but then stopped. What if she didn't remember, Alex and Molly didn't seem to remember being apart from Gene. What if Rowan didn't remember being with him? He cleared his throat and fixed his eyes on her. "Ro," he said for lack of anything else.

Rowan turned and looked at Ray then looked down at the ground before looking back up at him. She loved him still and hated herself for it. Keats had used it, had used her.

"Yes," she responded softly, not a question, not a statement, non-committal.

Ray studied her face in silence and frowned. He had a decision to make, keep his life with her, or go back to Ronnie. He huffed out a breath at the choice and reached for her hand. He held it softly and watched for her reaction. "Do you remember?" he asked her curiously.

Rowan nodded. She could barely speak. She couldn't figure out why the memories had stopped fading, she wanted them gone, it hurt too much, then she realized, Keats had given Ray a choice in there; and somehow, someway it was still there, his ability to make that choice. She couldn't imagine how hard it would be, or was it really, for Ray.

He had a whole life with Ronnie, Rowan knew, it was in her mind. She could never compare to Ronnie. Keats had been right about that. She kept herself blocked; she didn't want him to know how she was feeling.

"I remember everything," she said softly, keeping her tone even. "Keats used me to do this, it's all in my head still," she added.

Ray furrowed his brow, she remembered? Then what was with this? Did she not love him anymore? He loved her. He loved Ronnie too, he was in love with both of them. He watched Rowan's face curiously. He could remember his life with Rowan and his life with Ronnie, the pregnancy, she was having his kid! His gut twisted, he was going to be a Daddy. He shook it out of his head, and tried to convince himself that the baby wouldn't have any influence at all.

He studied her face once more and made a snap decision, he ran his finger down her cheek and made her look right up at him, he held her gaze for a moment. Would she hate him? "I'm sorry, Ro," he said gently. "I need to know..." he added then dropped his mouth onto hers.

Rowan shivered under his touch. She loved him, either way, in both lives, but in one, she got to have him. She knew she should back away when he moved in to kiss her, but she couldn't. She couldn't help herself.

Her love for Ray had caused this whole mess, had given Keats a horrific way to toy with people, herself included.

She kissed him back, knowing that she would remember this kiss at least even if he didn't choose her. She slid her hand across her belly. She should tell him, but how could she? He needed to know! But he was kissing her and she didn't want it to end. She had to tell him. He deserved to know everything. She hadn't kept secrets from him before, she couldn't start now.

She slowly broke off the kiss and met his gaze. She hoped he wouldn't hate her for this, although if he did, he might not remember after.

"You have to know...I...I didn't want to tell you," she broke off and closed her eyes then opened them again. "I was going to tell you...after the game..." she remembered they were going to go to Manchester before all this mess. She gathered herself and tried again.

"I'm pregnant, not far, only a few weeks, I just found out last night," she looked down and then back up at him. "I didn't want to tell you, not now, not with this going on, but it seems wrong to keep it from you," she admitted.

She blew out a shaky breath but felt somehow better for telling him. He would have felt the difference in her anyway and wondered at it. He would have asked.

"You should also know, I love you whichever you choose. Keats used it to cause all this and I hate myself for it, but it doesn't make how I feel about you any less. Whatever happens, whichever life, I'll still love you, I can't get away from that," she told him and waited.

She could feel the headache starting to return, there was too much in her head. She kept her mouth clenched shut and watched him.

Ray gaped at her. She was pregnant? He wanted to swing her around in the air and kiss her until he couldn't breathe, but he didn't, something stopped him, he stood his ground and remained mute.

Rowan felt a pang at his lack of reaction. "Her" Ray might not want kids. They'd never discussed it. Lucky Ronnie. "Ronnie's" Ray wanted kids, well, he wanted Ronnie's kids. She felt her stomach twist.

He rubbed his hands over his face, whichever life he chose he had a woman he loved and a child! How was he supposed to make that decision? But she did love him, she always would, she had when she had been with Chris, sort of anyway; they had had a connection. But Ronnie... The woman he had first fallen for, she had needed him; behind the sheds at the allotment; she had been kidnapped; she was pregnant: his baby.

But he had cheated on Ronnie with Rowan...

He looked back at her and tried to sort his head out, his mind was mixing events and he was confusing himself.

In Keats' world, Ronnie had been happy with Jack Branning, his fists clenched at the name: the guy had kissed Ronnie when she had been Ray's, he was a toe-rag and a worthless piece of shite! He took a deep breath and unclenched his fists. Rowan had had Chris; surely she would go back to him? His gut flipped over, she had said she would love him whichever life he chose. Did she mean that even if he went back to Ronnie, Rowan would still love him? That was unfair!

Ray ran his hands up Rowan's arms and pulled her to him. He buried his face in her hair. "I can't make this choice Rowan, it's too hard!" he murmured into her hair

Rowan didn't know what to say. No, she knew what she wanted to say, but she didn't dare.

Rowan felt hot hate fill her, hatred for Keats for doing this, hatred at herself for giving him the key. Speculating on what she could have had with Ray was something for when she was alone or when she was missing him. But Keats had shown her and it had been wonderful, at least she had thought so. He'd prevented Brian being able to terrorize her. She'd always been safe. He made her feel beautiful and that she was the most important person in the world. She had with him what her mother had always had with her father.

She loved Chris, she did, she knew she did, but she loved Ray ever so slightly more.

She felt the tears spilling down her face, tears of regret, of hate, she wanted to find Keats and tear him to pieces. This was all her fault. Her and her idiotic inability to keep her mouth shut.

She closed her eyes; it felt so good to be held close to him.

"I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. When I told you I wished I'd met you first, he used that and got inside my head and did all this."

She stepped back from him though she didn't want to. She wanted him to hold her forever. She looked at him, feeling her heart tearing itself apart.

"I….I don't…." she broke off. She didn't deserve him. She couldn't say it, she couldn't. Jealousy of Ronnie nearly overwhelmed her and she instantly hated herself for feeling it. She kept telling herself that no matter what, she wouldn't remember any of this; she wouldn't remember what she'd had. Small consolation. She swallowed hard.

"You have to choose, Ray," she finally said, her voice barely a whisper. She ached to take his hand, to touch his cheek, kiss him and let her aura enfold him and beg him to choose her, but she couldn't. It would be wrong.

"My head hurts, it's all in my head. On the one side, me and you, Chris and Shaz, Ffion having Bradley's baby, Ronnie and Jack and their son, all of it, everything, and on the other me and…." she faltered…."Chris, you and…." she stumbled again, "Ronnie, Shaz and Rhys, Ffion….all of it…." she trailed off and gazed at him.

Ray shook his head at her. "It's not just in your head, it's in mine, too," he sighed and then snapped his faze back to her. "This isn't your fault, Rowan! Don't start thinking that because it's wrong! You were a pawn, you were used, don't you dare blame yourself!" he told her, his tone harsher than he had intended.

He looked at her and felt his whole being soften and ache. She preferred Keats' reality. No, she preferred life with him. What did he prefer?

On the one hand: Ronnie: elegant, beautiful, amazing, sexy and occasionally vulnerable. She had been the first woman to ever get under his skin and the first woman he had ever truly fallen for. He loved her, completely adored her, and her little games: though she constantly informed him that she wasn't a tease and to be fair to her she did always deliver. He had been a complete wreck that time when he thought he had lost her. She was perfect in almost every way and he would never do anything to hurt her. And she was carrying his child, he knew her past and how desperate she had been for a baby, but she had never been anything but truthful with him. He loved and respected her for that.

Then, on the other hand Rowan: the woman he had wanted so badly he had cheated on Ronnie. The woman that claimed her want for him had caused this entire situation, the second woman to steal his heart. She wasn't elegantly beautiful like Ronnie, but he still thought her one of the most beautiful women he knew. She was a fantastic cook and they had a connection a little deeper than his and Ronnie's, Rowan showed interest in his favourite things and in return he repaid the favour. She had always been open and honest with him and neither of them had strayed when they had been together. In truth, he felt for her in exactly the same way he felt for Ronnie. The time her bastard of an ex-husband had turned up he hadn't stopped until Brian was safely away from her. No one would harm a hair on her head while he was around: No one would even come close. As he looked at her he still felt the ache to hold her to him and wash away whatever she was feeling. She was hurting, he could sense it. It pained him to see it.

He had to make a decision, this wouldn't end until he did and his head was beginning to spin. He weighed his options carefully and found them equally balancing each other out. He grunted in frustration and resolved to go on instinct and feeling. Slowly he closed his eyes and let his emotions take control. His eyes were shining as he finally opened them. His choice was made.

Rowan's breath caught in her throat and her heart missed a beat when he opened his eyes. He'd chosen, she could see it. But what? She realized he was blocking, she couldn't read him.

She felt memories begin to drain away, but for some reason she couldn't focus her thoughts, she couldn't seem to think at all. Her hands unwittingly went to her belly as her heart began to pound.

Ray looked directly at Rowan and knew that she knew that he had made his decision. He took a calculated step towards her; he took her hand and squeezed it gently as he kept his eye contact. He exhaled slowly.

Rowan felt a small amount of hope as he took her hand, but she pushed it aside. She didn't want to fool herself. That would just hurt worse. His kiss on her hand felt like a kiss goodbye, but she wouldn't let him see.

His memories were slowly becoming more blurred and hazy but he ignored that as he slowly raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles lightly. He let her hand fall.

"Rowan, I've made up my mind. I'm sorry," he said softly and then smiled at her. "Looks like you're stuck with me," he grinned.

She felt her jaw drop at his words. He'd what? He'd picked her? Over Ronnie? She could scarce believe it. She felt everything finally melt away until only her life with Ray was left. The paint fight when they'd decorated his flat, the trip to Paris over the Christmas holiday, watching football together, the cooking lesson that had turned into something else-it had taken all night to clean up that mess, the wonderful little thoughtful presents he got her knowing she wasn't girly enough to want fancy expensive jewellery or perfume.

He filled her soul and made it sing. Stuck with him? She couldn't think of anything better...

**The story continues in Walford is My Home Town**


End file.
